A Mother and a Father: The Adoption Verse
by lizandletdie
Summary: When Belle French discovers her son's biological father never consented to the adoption, life becomes a lot more complicated for both parents. But can two parents share the same child? Painfully slow burn Floof Family Fluff Prompt!verse.
1. Chapter 1

**smelling-rumple-leatherpantsu prompted**:  
Incapable of have own children,Belle adopts a child called Bae, ten years later, his father returns to fight the custody of the child, like biological father. Thank you.

* * *

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Belle sat stiff as a board across from this Mr. Gold who had come to ruin her life. "He is my __son.__"

"The problem, Miss French," he said so casually she wanted to reach across the table and slap him, "is that he's my son first."

"I adopted him," she glanced through the window to see where her darling Bae was practicing free throws in the driveway. He was __her child__. She had raised him, dammit. "Where were you then, the first ten years of his life? He's been my son since the day he was born."

"I never knew he was alive until last year," he supplied. "His mother never asked my permission to give him up for adoption, nor did she obtain my consent."

Belle was suddenly lightheaded. Oh god, she was going to faint in front of this man and he would steal her son. She suddenly had to touch Bae, there was a bone-deep __need __to wrap her arms around him and reassure herself that he was still hers and did not belong to this stranger who shared his chin and eyes. She just knew that if she could get outside and lay her hands on him and smell the scent of him, breathe in the smell of his hair as she had done every night since he was a newborn, then her blood would stop draining out of her face and her breathing would even out.

She couldn't make it that far, though, before blackness enveloped her.

When she came to again, she could smell her son and that was what convinced her to open her eyes.

She was relieved to see the familiar brown eyes looking down at her with relief.

"Mom, you're okay!"

"I'm fine, sweetheart," she tried to sound encouraging. "I was just lightheaded is all. I'll be fine."

Bae looked at something towards Belle's feet, which was when she realized her legs were slowly lowering to the floor. It took all her willpower to look away from her precious boy to see the monster who would steal him away, the same man who had held her legs up when she fainted.

"I'll take care of your mother, son," he reassured the child. "We're almost done."

Bae didn't look like he believed this stranger, glaring at him as he sat near his mother's head protectively.

"It'll be alright," she said as she leveraged herself into a sitting position, and Mr. Gold offered his hand to help her to her feet again and then to a chair. "Go upstairs and start your homework and I'll be up to help you soon. I promise."

It was only then that he finally nodded and retreated to the stairs, one last glare leveled at the strange man who had upset his mother.

"He's quite protective of you," Mr. Gold observed solemnly.

"Yes, well it's always just been the two of us here. He's a good boy."

"I don't mean to take him away," he seemed to be trying to reassure her. "I just want to know him. I'd like us to be friends in this, but I will get a court order if I have to."

Belle had a choice then. She could fight to keep her son to herself, but looking at Mr. Gold and his fancy suit and gold tipped cane she would lose. Her days of having her son all her own had come to an end. But perhaps he wouldn't be entirely unreasonable if she went along with it.

"You can come to dinner," she said finally. "Tomorrow. We can tell him the truth then and play it by ear from there."

He smiled at that and she was surprised at how much his face changed when he did so.

"Thank you, Miss French," he said, rising from his seat and shaking her hand. "I promise, I want to know my only child, but it wouldn't be fair to take him away from the only parent he's ever known."

"And it wouldn't be right to keep him from the only blood relative he has," she said with a resigned sigh as she rose to escort him to the door. "As long as you have his best interests at heart, you'll be welcome here."

"Thank you again, Miss French," he said with the same goofy smile on his face he'd had since she agreed to let him come to dinner.

"One more thing, Mr. Gold," she called out and he turned to face her. "If you ever do anything to hurt my child there won't be enough of you found to identify the body."

She swung the door shut with a finality.

It seemed she had to figure out something nice to make for dinner tomorrow, but first she really just needed to see her child.


	2. Chapter 2

**Princesstiannah prompted:**  
"And tomorrow he comes to dinner and they fall in love and get married" isn't good enough, please can you fic the dinner? Maybe an unexpected good night kiss and embarrassed apologies. Pretty please, with a cherry on top x

* * *

She had offered him __dinner__. Dinner. Well, it wasn't exactly a __son ____b__ut it was a start. He'd intended to inform her that he would be fighting for custody as he hadn't known the child was his until recently. Then she had fainted and he had caught her and all his plans went to hell.

He didn't know what had summoned Bailey French (__Bae __his mother had called him) to her side, but all of a sudden the boy had been there. He'd been frantic, worried, and begging to know that she would be alright. They had gotten her down on the floor and Gold had elevated her feet and then Bae had sat next to her, eying suspiciously a man who would give his right arm just to hug him and that was when Gold realized that he had already lost his son. No matter what was legal or how much money and effort he threw into it __now __the boy would always belong to her.

Gold had grown up with no mother and barely a father, he was determined his own son would not suffer that fate.

He'd had no choice, really, if he wanted to know his only child. Dinner it would be.

He prepared for this dinner the way a younger man might have prepared to propose. Everything had to be absolutely perfect from his suit to the wine he was bringing as a gift to Miss French. He'd bought a handheld game system of some sort – the clerk assured him that it was the newest and most expensive and therefore least likely to be owned by a ten year old – for his son. Hopefully, Bae didn't already have one – hopefully, the boy __liked __video games. Was he even allowed them? Oh God, he didn't know if his son played video games. This was going to be a disaster.

She'd not told him when to arrive, but he thought she might forgive him his eagerness when he arrived on her doorstep at 5:30.

She seemed to have been expecting him, at least. She was wearing a simple yellow sundress and making him realize he was completely overdressed for a family dinner and what on Earth had he been thinking?

"Mr. Gold," she__almost __smiled in greeting when she saw him on her doorstep, but her face quickly settled back into a nervous frown. He couldn't really blame her. This was already the most awkward he'd ever been in his life.

"This is for you," he muttered quickly, shoving the wine at her. "And I got Bae a present...assuming he doesn't have one and you think he'll like it. I'm sorry, I should have called to ask I just..."

"No, no, it's fine" she interrupted him gently after taking his parcel, for which he was intensely grateful as he wasn't sure he could have stopped talking by himself. "I think he'll be thrilled, he's been begging me for one. Please, come in."

She had softened up a little, he noticed as he brushed past her into the house. She seemed like a kind woman, and he had probably evoked some pity with his babbling. He wanted to like her, because he wanted to know his son was taken care of. Honestly, the more time spent in her company the better he felt about Milah having given Bae away.

"Bae," Miss French called up the stairs, "come down and say hello to someone."

There was the thundering sound of a little boy barreling down the steps and landing with a dull thud on the floor next to his mother. He had energy, apparently.

"You remember my friend Mr. Gold from yesterday?" she asked him, petting his hair lovingly.

Bae nodded, glancing suspiciously between his mother and this new man who had upset her so much the day before and Gold felt a tug at his heart. His son had his eyes.

"I brought you something," Gold practically choked out, holding the gift towards his son. "If you'll have it."

Bae inhaled sharply, his entire body tensing as his focus settled on the box being presented to him. Still, though, he looked at his mother pleadingly rather than take it. She nodded encouragingly at his son – their son, he amended, he belonged to both of them. It was only once he received her permission that Bae reached out and clutched the toy as though it were the only thing he'd ever wanted in life.

"What do you say?" Miss French reminded in that tone used by mothers the world over.

"Thank you, Mr. Gold," the child recited flawlessly before looking beseechingly towards his mother. "Can I play with it now?"

"After dinner," she replied. "I'm going to cook now, why don't you keep Mr. Gold company for me, yeah?"

Bae looked stricken at the prospect of being left alone with a stranger, but Belle just smiled at them both, ruffled her son's hair, and exited (presumably) to the kitchen.

The two of them stood alone staring at each other until the silence became awkward. Gold could honestly think of nothing to say that would interest the child. He wanted to know everything about him, but he couldn't even think of where to begin asking. __Everything __encompassed far, far too much.

"Are you dating my mom?" Bae finally interrupted his thoughts and Gold thought he might drop dead of an aneurysm then and there.

"No I'm actually...I'm not dating your mom," he managed to get out without sputtering too badly, before a different thought occurred to him. "Why? Does she bring boyfriends home often?"

Bae shrugged disinterestedly, his attention now once again focused on his present rather than the man who was apparently not making inroads with his mother.

"You're the first guy she's ever had over."

Gold's eyes shot involuntarily to the kitchen. Objectively, Belle French was a very attractive woman with her shiny hair, porcelain skin, and elfin features. From what he'd seen and his subtle inquiries into her life before approaching them he knew she was well educated, outgoing, and generally liked. The idea of her not dating __anyone __didn't seem to mesh with his own knowledge of the woman, although perhaps she was just more discreet than Bae's biological mother had been.

He'd been quiet too long again and had completely lost the boy's attention to a list of features on the box of the gaming system.

"Tell you what," Gold said conspiratorially, "why don't you give that a try and let me know how you like it. I'll just pop into the kitchen and see if your mom needs any help."

Bae seemed torn between pointing out that this stranger was in no way an authority figure and the overwhelming desire to play with his new toy.

"I'll tell her I said it was alright," Gold added and Bae didn't question him further, dashing up the stairs faster than Gold would have thought possible. It seemed his son was a natural athlete.

Miss French was stirring something on the stove absentmindedly as she read her phone, but she glanced up at him as he entered.

"So it went well then?" she said with a sympathetic smile.

"I told him he could go play his game," Gold sighed at his own self-defeat and sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "I had absolutely no idea what to say to him. I want to know everything, but there was so much I just had no idea where to begin."

"He's ten," she said with a smirk. "Asking how school was is a good place to start."

"Does he like school?"

She shrugged.

"About as much as any kid his age. He likes science and history, hates math, and his language arts grades are getting better but he's still having trouble thanks to his dyslexia."

"He's dyslexic?"

"Oh," she seemed to suddenly realize who he was. "I'm sorry, of course you don't know. He was diagnosed a couple years ago. It's not too extreme, but reading and writing are still a bit of a challenge."

"Has he seen a specialist?"

"He has an IEP at school and that gets him extra help."

"Does he __need __to see a specialist?"

"Specialists are expensive," she said finally. "And he's doing well."

"Miss French," he said as seriously as he could. "__He is my son. __ You're not alone anymore. If he needs something, just tell me and I'll get it for him."

She looked like she was about to argue with him, but shook her head strangely.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I keep thinking of you as a stranger and not wanting to take advantage. You're right, though. I'm just not used to having anyone to go to about his problems."

"I hope you don't mind me asking this, but you do seem a bit young to have an adopted child his age."

"I'm a little older than I look," she chided. "But honestly? Bae was a complete accident."

"Yes, he has a history of that."

She looked at him in surprise and then broke out laughing. Her entire face changed, and it took her a moment to catch her breath.

"He apparently does," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Anyway, I was fresh out of college when my father died and left me his house and his florist. So I was living here alone and my friend Ruby called me one night panic stricken. See, Ruby is a social worker and Bae's mother just showed up at the hospital at 11 o'clock at night and handed the baby over to the triage nurse in the ER and said she didn't want him anymore. So Ruby needed a place for an infant but all her foster families were either full or couldn't be reached for an emergency placement and I was the only person she knew with enough space for a baby. How was I supposed to say no to something like that?"

"And they just let you have him?"

"No, not like that. It was only supposed to be a temporary placement – one night only. So here I am, twenty-three years old, my father has __just __died and now I have an infant who just will not stop crying. I didn't even have a crib, he only had a carseat and some diapers and formula Ruby brought over and that was it," she paused and he could see she was on the verge of tears at the memory but politely pretended not to notice as she swiped under her eyes before continuing. "I just couldn't get him to stop screaming and finally I couldn't take it anymore, it was four in the morning and I just was exhausted and I broke down and cried. So it was two of us sitting in my living room sobbing uncontrollably. And then finally he just...stopped. He stopped and looked at me and made this gurgling noise and then I wasn't crying because I was alone anymore and neither was he. I just kind of...fell in love."

She smiled shyly, staring down into her pan and checking it for doneness.

"We had some struggles with his birth mom after that, of course," she continued. "Turns out she wasn't quite as done as she thought she was, so that delayed things quite a bit. But in the end it all worked out, and by the time her rights were terminated he was four and had been with me the whole time. By then it was almost no trouble at all to get to keep him."

"Wait, so Milah came back for him?"

"Oh a few times, actually," Belle replied. He could tell this part still bothered her but she was trying very hard to aim for nonchalance. "Her and that boyfriend of hers...Killian something."

"Jones," he supplied. Killian Jones had been his wife's love as well as the reason given for the end of their marriage.

"Right," she said as though the name itself tasted bad. "Killian Jones. About once or twice a year they'd make noise about wanting visitation, then they'd start skipping visits and vanish off the face of the earth again. I was actually a little relieved when they got caught dealing. I know that the ultimate goal of the foster system is supposed to be keeping families together, but I was never in it for the foster system. I was only ever in it for Bae."

"Does he remember her?"

"Bits and pieces. He remembers not liking their visits, but he hasn't seen her since he was four years old. He broke his arm while visiting over there and wasn't allowed unsupervised visitation anymore. That's the last time he saw either of them."

Gold felt his blood pressure rising at the story of Bae being hurt under Jones' care. He'd never liked the man, and the thought of him laying a finger on his child...

"What happened with his arm?" he ground out. If Jones had touched Bae...

"Oh, nothing like that!" Belle exclaimed. "He was playing outside alone and Killian was inside getting high. Bae fell and hurt himself. A neighbor found him and tried to take him home, but nobody was answering the door so she called the police. It...wasn't ideal, but nobody ever laid a finger on him I can promise you that."

She eyed him for a moment, as though sensing he was trying calm himself down and then seemed to make a decision, pulling open a cupboard and removing two wine glasses. She took out a corkscrew, opened the bottle of wine he'd brought and poured both of them a decent sized glass.

"Here," she handed him one. "I think we could both use a drink."

"To co-parenting," he toasted and she smiled and accepted.

"So I answered your questions," she said. "Here's mine. What took you so long?"

"Beg pardon?"

"Why did it take you so long to find us? You're a clever man, Mr. Gold, and you obviously have resources at your disposal. You can't mean to tell me it took you ten years to find him."

"The short answer is that I didn't know to look," he explained. "I knew he was alive, but I assumed he was Jones' - Milah certainly acted like he was."

"I was under that impression as well," she admitted.

"At the time he was born, Milah was still using my address as her billing address for obvious reasons. I kept copies of all her documents during the divorce proceedings just in case. A few months ago I was cleaning out my attic and found the box. When I went through it to check for anything important, I realized that the baby had brown eyes," he paused to see if she would register the meaning of his statement before continuing. "I don't know how much you know about genetics, but Milah's eyes were grey and Jones' were blue. It would be nearly impossible for them to have a child with brown eyes."

"Perhaps she just had another lover?"

"Yes, that's where my mind went as well, but I counted backwards and nine and a half months before his birthday was, well, my birthday."

She laughed so hard at that wine nearly came out her nose.

"Oh God, that burns!" she exclaimed, grabbing a paper towel to cover her sneezes.

That was the moment when he realized he might not mind co-parenting with Belle French as his boy's mother.

"You should call me Arthur, by the way," he said once she had managed to collect herself and refilled both their glasses. "If we're going to both be his parents, you don't need to call me Mr. Gold."

She considered that for a moment.

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed. "You can call me Belle."


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner was less awkward than Gold had feared, thank God. The addition of Belle to the proceedings was enough to facilitate some conversation between father and unwitting son. Bailey, it turned out, was a charming child, and he had clearly been raised well.

He regretted that he had missed the first ten years of his son's life, and that regret would haunt him until the day he died. But, and this surprised him, he didn't regret that Bailey was raised by Belle. He harbored no illusions about his capability as a parent. His father had been distant and largely uninterested in having a son. Gold had no idea where to even begin to parent a child and the longer he was here the more he understood that. Milah had proven herself completely unfit to the point that the state had stepped in. But Belle, though, was a natural. She was firm with him, insisting on hearing a teacher's side of a homework dispute or refusing to let him claim he wasn't hungry enough to eat his vegetables if he planned on having dessert, but she never veered into being harsh. Their every interaction was colored by an assurance that they loved each other.

The more he watched the intimacy between mother and son — and when exactly had be begun thinking of Belle as the mother of his child, anyway? — the more he both relieved and envious.

"Well then," Belle finally said when the adults were full and Bae had eaten a full serving of vegetables, "who's ready for dessert? I made a cake."

"Cake sounds lovely," Gold said, moving to help her clear the table but she shooed him back to his seat.

"What kind of cake?" Bae asked enthusiastically.

"Strawberry shortcake," was the reply.

The boy was still obviously confused by Gold's presence in his home but had seemed to accept whatever stranger had meant chicken parmesan and strawberry shortcake for dinner.

"So Bae," Gold decided to try his luck with conversation again having had a few glasses of wine over dinner and a little practice now. "How did you like your new game?"

At this the child's eyes lit up.

"It's sooooo cool!" Bae was practically vibrating from excitement in his chair and it was all his father could do not to give everything away then and there. "It's all in 3D so it looks like everything in my Pokedex is holographic!"

Gold had no idea what the hell a Pokedex was, but the boy seemed excited.

"Are there any other games you'd want for it?"

Bae quickly nodded and rattled off a list too fast for anyone to keep up with him.

"Why don't you write that all down for me and I'll see what I can find later, yeah?"

By now, Belle had returned and set plates of cake down at the table.

Bae got a pensive look on his face before facing his mother.

"Okay, what's going on?" Bae said.

"What do you mean?" Belle asked him, even though it was clear that this had gone on as long as it could.

"Yesterday you were so upset after he left, but today he's bringing me presents and we're having cake and it's not even my birthday and you want us to get to know each other but he says he's not your boyfriend. Who is he?"

Belle looked at Gold and took a deep breath, he knew she had to be the one to deliver this news and he felt his heart start to race at the prospect.

"Bae, honey, do you remember the talks we had about your birth mom?"

He nodded, but didn't reply.

"I know you don't remember a lot about her or Killian, but we always assumed that Killian was your birth dad because that's what she said," Belle reached out and took her son's hand comfortingly. "Before you were born, though, your birth mom was married to Mr. Gold and he did some looking into it and we're pretty sure that he's your dad."

Bae's jaw dropped and he looked back and forth incredulously between the two of them, pulling his hand from Belle's and leaping away from the table.

"He can't be my dad, Killian was supposed to be my dad. I don't have a dad anymore!" the boy was becoming hysterical, and while intellectually Gold knew this was the most important piece of information that Bae would ever get it still hurt his heart to be rejected out of hand.

"I know this is a lot to take in, sweetheart," Belle crooned, moving to hold him tight in her arms.

Gold clenched his hand around the handle of his cane so hard his knuckles turned white. He wanted to go to them and to wrap his son in his arms and promise that he'd never leave him again, that there would never be anything to fear ever again because he would always be loved and provided for and protected as long as he lived, but Bae was sobbing into his mother's skirt and he knew he would not be welcome there just yet.

"You won't let him take me away, will you?" the boy sobbed and at that Belle gasped and enveloped the boy tighter in her arms.

"Bae, no! Nobody is going to take you away. That's not something you ever, ever have to worry about," she was smoothing his hair back off his face and kissing his forehead frantically and he was clinging to her.

"I won't leave you again," Bae cried out.

Belle looked apologetically over to Gold as Bae continued to shake and cry before he finally pried himself out of his mother's arms and ran out into the living room. He could hear the sound of footsteps on the stairs indicating that his son had retreated to his room.

"Well that could have gone better," Gold said sardonically.

"Just…stay here," Belle said. "I'll be right back and I'll explain everything."

She rushed out and up the stairs after her son, leaving Gold alone in the dining room feeling more alone than he'd ever felt in his life.

It was close to twenty minutes later that Belle finally returned, leading a much calmer Bae who had clearly been crying for a good portion of the missing time.

"Mr. Gold," she said softly, "Bailey has something he'd like to ask you."

She looked down at the boy in front of her and whispered 'go on' so softly Gold could have imagined it.

"Do I have to call you dad?"

Gold felt relief flood through him at that simple question. She'd somehow done it, she'd gotten him to understand.

"No, Bae," he said as gently as he could manage. "You don't have to call me dad, although I'd certainly like it if someday you did. You can call me whatever you like. You can call me Mr. Gold or Arthur — I'd prefer if you didn't use Artie, though."

He wrinkled his nose at the hated nickname and Bae gave a small laugh at that.

"I think I'm going to call you Arthur," the boy said. "For right now."

"That's alright," he replied. "Whatever makes you comfortable. I'm not trying to replace your mom, I just want to know you. I never knew about you before and I've missed so much."

"Was there something else?" Belle whispered to her son, just loud enough to be audible, and Bae nodded, taking a deep breath and seeming to summon all the bravery he had.

"Do you want to come to my basketball game on Friday?" the boy said. "Afterward mom and I get pizza and ice cream and she said you can come to that, too, if you like."

He saw Belle give Bae's arm a reassuring squeeze, as though congratulating him for doing so well.

"I would like that very much," Gold said, smiling at the boy again from sheer relief.

"Okay," Belle broke in. "Now that that's all settled, how about Bae goes and takes a bath to calm down some and then changes into pajamas and then we have cake? Does that sound good?"

Bae nodded, trotting off up the stairs and leaving the two adults to their conversation.

"I'm sorry about that," Belle sighed. "I should have warned you but I didn't think it would be that bad."

"I had no idea he was so attached to __Killian__," Gold tried not to let the bitterness he was feeling seep into his voice but it was so damn hard.

"It's more the opposite, actually," Belle sighed. "Before they lost custody the Jones' kept trying to get him back. It was clearly a long time ago, and he did see a therapist when he was little, but he's always had a fear of them taking him away. I'd hoped by having you here when I told him so he could see that it was __you__ and not Killian he might handle it better. Apparently, I was wrong."

She flopped down into a chair across from him as though completely exhausted.

He poured her another glass of wine wordlessly, splitting the remainder of the bottle between both their glasses.

"Thanks," she said before taking a sip. "You're going to spoil me if you keep bringing good wine for dinner, you know."

"So I'm invited to more dinners? That's comforting."

"Why wouldn't you be?"

He shrugged.

"This one didn't exactly go to plan."

"We both knew this was going to be a rough night going into it. He'll come around."

"Bae said you don't bring men home," he blurted out.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"No, I don't make a habit of introducing strange men to my son. You're a bit of an outlier."

"No boyfriends?"

"Not that it's any of your business," she muttered. "But I've been a single mother running my own business for the last ten years, both my parents are dead, and I have no local family. Where am I getting the time or babysitters to go on dates with these hypothetical men?"

"So you don't date?"

"I've been on a few since he came around," she shrugged. "But unless you count he time his therapist came to dinner or the home observations with his caseworker this is the closest thing I've been on to a date in the last couple years. What about you, though? Ten years is a long time to wait to remarry."

"Who said I was going to remarry?"

She snorted incredulously.

"Whatever you say."

"So this is the closest thing to a date you've been on?" He changed the subject, not comfortable at all with the direction this conversation was moving in. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Well, it's involved a bit more yelling and crying than I usually prefer but overall it's been a nice evening, you have to admit."

He was forced to concede that point.

"Dinner was excellent," he added for her. "And the company, of course. The wine was surprisingly good as well, which may account for the ease of company."

She chuckled at that and clinked her glass to his before taking another sip of her drink.

He met her mirth-filled eyes and they both seemed to realize the direction the conversation had taken at the same time. A jolt of recognition went through him that the look in her eyes wasn't amused anymore, and it wasn't strictly platonic or co-parenting. He recognized in her the same need to connect that he felt.

He didn't know if it were the wine, or attraction, or the fact that they were both apparently lonely — he didn't even know who made the first move. He just knew that a split second later her lips were pressed against his and his hand had come up to touch her hair.

It only lasted a few heartbeats, but the moment passed as suddenly as it had begun.

"Oh," she said softly, pulling away from him. "That was a really dumb idea."

He was too shocked that she'd kissed him to even agree, instead nodding along mutely. Whatever else they were, they were not lovers. They were strangers thrown together by circumstance who now had to share the same child. Adding any stronger feelings to their situation could only hurt Bae in the long run, and neither one of them was willing to do that.

He was spared having to attempt to continue a conversation with her by the reappearance of his son, dark curls plastered to his head with water and clothed in a cotton T-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants with little cartoon monkeys all over them.

It was a charmingly domestic scene as the three of them sat and ate their cake. Bae answered any question given to him and supplied some of his own, seemingly genuinely interested in this man who was apparently going to be in his life from now on. Belle offered gentle encouragement when necessary, but otherwise seemed more than happy for the two to simply sit and become acquainted with each other.

It wasn't until late that night when he had returned to his empty home that he realized that the two of them were the only family that he really wanted to have.


	4. Chapter 4

**anonymousnerdgirl prompted:**

Adopted!verse: Bae's interests tend to the athletics but Gold can't play with him because of his limp. Belle tries to help them find a way to connect.

* * *

He was trying, Belle had to give him that. Arthur Gold had shown up to the basketball game – dressed in another one of his expensive suits, bless him – and sat to watch a group of ten and eleven year old boys run up and down a court in a poorly ventilated rec center. He'd even clapped when she had, though she strongly suspected he was mostly just following her lead. He didn't strike her as the basketball type, exactly.  
They had both been a little uncomfortable at first with answering questions as to who he was to Bae, but Belle had decided early on not to provide too many details. If he wanted to explain the situation to more people, he was welcome to do so, but anyone who approached her asking who he was simply informed that he was Bailey's birth dad and left at that. No muss, no fuss, and soon enough they were left to the game and each other's company.  
"You know, the coach has a crush on you," he whispered into her ear after halftime.  
"Who, Michael?"  
Michael Tillman was Bae's coach and a single parent himself. He was a widower with twins named Ava and Nicholas who were Bae's age.  
He'd also been the first one to come up and introduce himself to the stranger who had accompanied Belle to the game this week.  
"Yes, Michael," Gold said with a smirk. "He keeps eying me to see if I'm competition, and to make sure you're looking his way."  
"That's ridiculous," she replied. But she knew he was right. Michael was constantly inviting Belle and Bae over for playdates and had asked her to coffee once.  
"So you've never considered it?"  
She looked at him sidelong, trying to gauge what he was really asking her.  
"He's Bae's coach," she shrugged finally. "Bailey loves basketball and Michael is good with him. That's all."  
She saw him wince a little, but pretended like she hadn't. She was becoming far too friendly with Arthur since he'd walked into her life with nothing but a birth certificate to recommend him earlier this week. At least he seemed just as disinclined to mention her kissing him as she was. That had been a lapse in judgment she'd not anticipated making, and didn't plan on making again.  
"So what else does Bae like?"  
It was said almost too casually, but there was a subtle note of longing in it that caught her attention fully.  
"He likes a lot of things. He's into sports, mostly. But also video games, superheroes, LEGO, toys that shoot things, Jedi...he has a weird fondness for magic tricks."  
She shrugged and he turned to face her.  
"Magic tricks?"  
"Yeah, I don't know where that came from," she replied. "He's ten, he likes ten year old boy things."  
"You'll have to forgive me, but I've not spent much time around ten year old boys since I was one."  
"Well, what do you do?"  
"I own an antique shop," he explained. "And I live alone. I go to work, I come home. That's about it, really. Well, now I go to your house as well and apparently also to children's basketball games. I don't have many hobbies."  
"Aww," Belle gave his arm a quick sympathetic squeeze. "Bae's a sweet kid, honestly. And he really, really wants to like you. This is a great start."  
"I'm the oldest father here," he grumbled under his breath.  
"Oh that's not true," she said, glancing around. "Well, maybe. But not by much. And I'm the youngest parent here, so it balances out. How old are you, anyway?"  
"Forty-eight," he muttered, glancing around.  
"That's not too old for this crowd," she replied. "Most of them are in their late thirties or early forties. You'll be fine."  
"Everyone is looking at me."  
"You're new and a little overdressed," she reminded him. "And they're curious about why there's a new man in my life, they all knew my situation."  
"You really think I'm overdressed?"  
"You're wearing a suit to a basketball game, perhaps a touch."  
"What should I wear next time?"  
It was kind of adorable how clueless he was, but Belle was determined not to let him think she was mocking him. She considered his question, trying to picture him in jeans and a t-shirt like the other dads before quickly disregarding it. Something about Arthur called for something a little bit more formal.  
"Take your jacket off, for one thing," she finally said. "And the tie."  
He nodded and did as instructed, folding both nicely before laying them in his lap.  
"Okay, now unbutton your top two buttons and roll up your sleeves," she took in the effect. "Better make it three buttons."  
The result was an instant improvement, he now looked like he'd just come from work rather than like he expected a meeting to break out in the middle of the game.  
"I feel ridiculous," he muttered.  
"But you look exactly like everyone else," she reminded him. "Next time you can wear khakis and a polo shirt, or khakis and one of your dress shirts. Just not a white one, I know you have other colors. I've seen them on you."  
"Why Belle, I didn't know you cared," he feigned embarrassment, pressing a hand to his chest.  
She rolled her eyes at him and he quickly returned to their companionable silence as they watched the game.  
He really was trying, and she could respect him for that.

Gold was pretty sure this was the most awkward he'd felt since high school. He'd hoped that leaving the game would help relax him, but "pizza and ice cream afterward" had turned out to be a team event where Bae spent any moment he wasn't actively putting food into his mouth running around with other kids and begging his mother for quarters to put into an old Street Fighter II machine near the entrance.  
Belle spent most of the time at their table, but the other mothers occasionally came around to scope him out and ask her subtle questions. And finally the basketball coach – Michael, Belle had called him – had come over and asked to speak to her privately at which point she'd excused herself to go stand somewhere else with him and talk in low tones.  
Gold didn't begrudge Belle having a man interested in her, not at all. Their relationship was friendly but they were barely friends despite the unfortunate and wine-fueled kiss of the other night. And frankly, Michael had been there first. If anything, Gold was the interloper.  
He just really wished he had anything to do but sit at a table, pick at rapidly cooling pizza, and watch his son playing. He was so intent on staring at Bae that he honestly didn't even notice Belle coming back over and reclaiming her original seat across from him in the booth.  
"Wanna talk about it?" she asked, pulling a piece of pepperoni off her slice and popping it in her mouth.  
"No, not really," he sighed.  
"I know this hasn't been easy for you today," she continued. "I do. Thank you for coming though, I know this isn't really your thing."  
"It's not that," he replied. "It's just...I can't do this stuff."  
He nodded towards his cane and saw the flash of recognition in her eyes, and then the sympathy. The sympathy he'd hoped to avoid.  
"I get along fine in life," he added. "I just can't be this kind of dad."  
"He doesn't need 'this kind' of dad," she said, reaching a hand out to place comfortingly on one of his. "He's got you. We just need to find things you can do together."  
"I know nothing about video games, I certainly don't know any magic tricks, and as for Jedi I haven't seen the movies since the '80s," he was pitying himself now, but she had provided a sympathetic ear so she could hardly begrudge him when the truth came out. "That really cuts down on our options."  
"How late can you stay up at night?" she said, a smile flashing across her face.  
"Beg pardon?"  
"You heard me. Think you can be awake enough to drive at 3:30?"  
"I...probably," he didn't sleep much usually anyway. "But I hardly see..."  
"Bailey!" she yelled across the pizza place, gesturing for the boy to come over before she leaned over to Gold to whisper "just trust me."  
"What's up, mom?" Bae was exuberant from the combination of simple carbohydrates and being near his friends and Gold found himself similarly on edge waiting to see what Belle had up her sleeve. He didn't want the child to feel obligated to spend time with him, after all.  
"So your dad and I were talking," she nodded towards Gold on the word 'dad' and it squeezed his heart just a little every time she included him in the unit of their family. "You know how there's the new Spider-Man movie coming out next weekend?"  
"Yeah..." the boy was looking between the two of them now anxiously.  
"How would you like to go see it with your dad on opening night at midnight?"  
"Wait, Thursday night instead of Friday?" Bae was practically bouncing now.  
"Yup," she nodded and Gold felt himself begin to smile as he saw the sheer joy that was coursing through Bailey's body.  
"Oh my God this is so cool!" Bae exclaimed. "You never let me go on Thursday nights! But wait, what about school the next day?"  
"I think you can take one day off, don't you Arthur?" she winked at Gold then and he nodded dumbly in agreement.  
If he'd thought Bae was excited before, the moment he heard 'no school' the child threw himself at his mother who giggled, but pried him off.  
"Thank your dad, not me," she scolded him with a laugh.  
"Thank you so much, Dad!" Bae chirped, tackling Gold in a hug so tight he wasn't sure how either were breathing, but he still had the presence of mind to hug the boy before Bae tore himself out of his arms. "I have to go tell Nick! He's going to be so jealous!"  
The boy bounded off to rejoin his friends who greeted him with some combination of jealousy and excitement.  
"You're welcome," Belle said smugly. "You just became the cool dad."  
"It seems you're far more cunning than I gave you credit for," he replied, wishing the grin on his face would go away.  
"Did you notice, though?"  
"What?"  
"He called you 'Dad.'"  
The grin got wider, but this time he couldn't bring himself to care.


	5. Chapter 5

**anonymousnerdgirl said:**

Adoption!verse: Gold decides to investigate the Jones's treatment of Bae. Reading the reports of their neglect prompts him to smash glass with his cane and remember his own childhood.

**whiteorangeflower said:**

Your adoption verse has captured me. May I prompt you something? The first time Gold teaches something to his son or the two going to see something together. thank you!

* * *

Gold had asked Belle about Bae's past because he'd wanted to know, and she'd given him their CPS reports because he'd asked her to. He just wasn't sure he wanted to have them. The problem, though, was that honestly he didn't __want __to know what they'd done to Bae – Milah had been irresponsible, and Jones had been even worse. He needed to know, but the idea of his son suffering at their hands set his teeth on edge.

Still, if Bae had been able to live through it then he could read it. And so, after one of his near-daily meals at their house and the night before the promised Spider-man trip, he returned to his lonely house, poured himself a scotch, and pulled out the file he'd been keeping on his desk.

It was mostly social worker reports, but Belle had apparently documented every single interaction she'd had with them as well and those had been included. It was a case study in two people who were not ready for parenthood but decided they wanted a child anyway.

Milah had first decided she wanted Bae back at three months old. She was granted unsupervised weekend access to the boy. After just a few visits, though, Belle began reporting nasty cases of diaper rash that appeared every time he returned from his mother's house. She was able to find a doctor to agree with her assessment that his diapers weren't being changed frequently enough, and a surprise visit from CPS had found the baby left crying in his crib for long periods of time. Gold thought he might be sick.

He would never hold his son. Bae was too large now to be picked up with one arm and Gold wouldn't be able to support both their weights on his bad leg anyway. The idea that Milah and Jones had the opportunity to hold him as a baby but had instead left him alone and suffering enraged Gold.

That had been the end of Milah's unsupervised visits for awhile, at least. She eventually grew tired of spending Saturdays with a social worker watching her with her son and stopped showing up to the supervised ones. He'd have thought that would be it, but apparently not. The pattern repeated over and over again between the ages of eighteen months and four years old. At least once or twice a year, Milah would try to regain custody only to balk at the supervised visitation and eventually stop showing up.

Frankly, by the time he got to the portion dealing with Bae's final unsupervised visit with his mother he was just about ready to burn the whole damn system down and start over. Who the hell had decided that a woman who couldn't even show up for her supervised visits deserved another chance at having unsupervised access to a child? If she hadn't been convicted for drug use after he broke his arm, how many more chances would she have been given with the boy? Would they even have let Belle keep him or just sent him back to Milah once he was old enough to fend for himself? The thought of Milah raising the boy instead of Belle was enough to make him physically ill.

Gold finally set the file aside, rising to his feet and pacing angrily through the room. He needed to burn off some of his nervous energy, and the way his leg ached from the activity was a welcome reprieve from the direction of his thoughts. He'd not been able to save his son. Bae had been abandoned and neglected and __he____hadn't been there__.

He had always wanted to do better than his father. Malcolm Gold had been in and out of his son's life with all the regularity of a tornado, leaving a similar amount of destruction in his wake. Arthur had been left with his aunts until Malcolm's urge to parent suddenly became overwhelming, and then he would skip out again as soon as the boy became onerous. Bailey had been subjected to the same fate by his mother. It just wasn't __fair. __Bae didn't deserve that. All Gold had ever wanted was to be a father, and yet where had he been while Bae had been suffering at Milah's hands? Running his shop, licking his wounds, and stagnating in luxury.

Belle had been there, at least. Belle, who'd had no claim on the child beyond being a young woman who was awake late at night and had a house had been the one to cherish his son and teach him he was loved and to give him everything. It just wasn't fair!

He grabbed his glass off the end table and threw it against a wall. The glass fell to the floor with a tinkling sound and the wanton destruction soothed him in its chaos. A decorative glass paperweight and a figurine of a shepherd soon followed the glass.

He was breathing heavily more from the adrenaline than from the activity by the time he had finished. He collapsed to the floor and broke down into tears, shaking with the need to go back in time and hold this child who had long since ceased to need to be rescued, and who he had never been able to save.

He was still a little shaken up by the next evening, and the nap he'd taken after work only helped a little bit. By the time he arrived to pick Bae up (wearing khakis and a blue shirt at Belle's suggestion) he really just wanted to hold the boy until the uncontrollable urge to destroy the world passed. He thought that might frighten Bae, though. That this would be the first time he would ever be alone with his son for more than a few minutes did not really help his nerves.

Belle greeted him warmly before calling for Bae that his father was here and he'd better hurry up if he wanted to see the movie.

"So what's the plan for the night?" she asked as they stood in the entryway waiting for Bae to come down.

"Well, I thought we'd get a snack before the movie and then go get in line."

He already had the tickets purchased, but he'd been informed that queuing up to get into the theater was the fun part, and anyway it would provide him a little bit of extra time with his son.

"That sounds good," she nodded. "You can feed him whatever you want short of coffee. Soda, popcorn, candy...whatever. I figure it's more important that you guys bond than it is to maintain his diet for awhile. I'd just prefer he not develop a taste for coffee while bedtime is still an issue."

He nodded. She really was trying to make things easier for him, which he couldn't help but appreciate. This entire situation had the potential to be unbelievably difficult but she was going out of her way to make it easier for him. It occurred to him not for the first time that Bae had gotten very lucky in winding up with Belle.

"I uh," he began. "I read the file."

"Oh," she breathed. "Did you have any questions?"

He shook his head.

"Still taking it all in."

"Well, the offer stands," she replied just as Bailey bounced down the stairs to stand next to her.

"Hey, Bailey!" Gold said, unable to suppress the smile that spontaneously bloomed whenever his son was in the room.

"You ready to go?" she chirped, ruffling Bae's hair affectionately.

"Yeah," Bae exclaimed. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Bae was in a Spider-man t-shirt and jeans and looked almost as excited as his father felt, albeit for a slightly different reason.

"Alright," Belle said cheerfully, grabbing a coat off the rack and handing it to their son. "Looks like you two are ready to go. Bae, be nice to your dad, okay?"

"Yes, mom," he said with a put-upon sigh before looking up at his father.

"I think we'll be okay," Gold added. "What are you going to do tonight?"

"Oh I have a thrilling night planned," she said with a smirk. "I am going to watch literally whatever I want on TV and go to sleep without worrying about Bailey trying to stay up to play video games. I may even have some wine."

"Living the high life, I see."

Bae gave a guilty grin at his inclusion in their joke, but seemed to enjoy the banter as they walked towards the car.

"Well," she said cheerfully. "I'll try not to party too hard. You boys have fun!"

And just like that, Gold was left alone with his son.

"This is going to be the latest I've ever been awake," Bae supplied as he climbed into the car.

"Well, I'm glad to take you to the movie."

"I think it'll be fun," Bae said cheerfully. "It'll be good to get to know you."

Gold chuckled at Bae's earnest proclamation.

"I couldn't agree more," he replied.

He drove his son to a diner, ordering chocolate milkshakes and an order of fries.

"So your mom tells me you like school," Gold probed, deciding to try Belle's advice for conversation topics.

"Yeah," Bae said. "It's not bad..."

He started swirling his milkshake around with a straw and avoiding eye contact.

"When I was your age," Gold confided, "I had a really hard time with school."

Bae perked up a little, eying Gold cautiously.

"Really?"

"Yes," he tried to keep a straight face. "I had a really hard time with math, for one thing. I could write well and I liked to read, but I also had a really hard time remembering things sometimes."

"Mom was so good at school," Bae said in a rush. "Like, everything. She loved it and I don't hate school or anything it's just not as easy for me as it was for her and I have to work at it all the time and next year is my last year before middle school and that's supposed to be even harder and I just don't know if I can keep up..."

Now that he'd gotten it all out, Bae seemed to deflate a little bit against the booth. Gold was shocked that he'd been chosen to hear this exclamation and wondered how long Bae had been holding this in. This was really his first opportunity to parent his child, which was a little bit more intimidating than he'd anticipated.

"Your mom told me you're having trouble with your dyslexia," he said sympathetically, looking at Bae who was still focused entirely on the plate of french fries in front of him.

Bae just nodded, picking at his food.

"Why don't you let me talk to your mom about seeing if there's anyone in the area who might be able to give you a little extra help?"

Bae glanced up hopefully, but a little wary.

"I already have an extra class at school."

"Well, there are lots of different people we can talk to," Gold continued. "Some of them are kind of expensive, which is why your mom never took you to see any of them. But I can pay for it."

"And you think that would help?"

"It can't hurt, and if you don't like it you don't have to keep going."

"You'd really do that for me?"

Gold felt his heart shatter into a million little pieces at the innocent question. He would do anything for Bae. He would die for Bae, he'd cut off his right arm for his son no questions asked. Paying for a specialist didn't even count as a hardship.

"I'm your dad, Bae," he finally said. "Anything you need I'll get for you. You don't need to worry about that."

Bae considered this for a little while before looking back at Gold.

"I'm glad you found me," he said at last.

Bae had passed out in the car on the way home from the movie. It was the first time Gold had ever seen his son asleep, he realized. The movie had been surprisingly good, and Gold was pretty sure he was going to buy Bae every single Spider-man toy at the store for his birthday just to hold onto the memory as long as he could.

He called Belle from the drive way to wake her up so she could let them in, but neither had really planned for Bae to be asleep. He hated to force her to come outside in her nightclothes, but he also hated to wake up his son when he looked so peaceful (and, frankly, was out like a light).

Gold considered the little boy in the backseat for a minute before arriving at a decision. When he saw the look on Belle's face when he stood at her door a little while later with his son slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes he had to give her credit for not laughing too hard.

"Are you alright?" she said through an amused smirk.

"Yeah, fine," he got out. "I just need to get him up the stairs."

"Sure, of course," she let him in and took his arm, letting him lean on her as they made their way up the stairs and to Bae's room incredibly slowly.

It wasn't the most comfortable arrangement, and he knew his leg would be killing him the next day, but Gold couldn't regret this one chance to carry Bailey while it was still possible. He would probably never do this again.

By the time they got the boy into bed and Belle took his shoes off and tucked him in with his clothes on, Bae had stirred just a bit.

"Mom?"

"Go back to sleep," she whispered, kissing him on the head.

"I had a really good time with Dad," he mumbled, rolling over and pulling the sheets up to his chin.

"That's great, sweetie," she said. "You can tell me all about it tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Mom," he said through a yawn. "Goodnight, Dad."

Belle smiled as she pulled Gold through the door to the hallway.

"I don't think I'm going to see him again before noon," Belle said with a relaxed smile. "And I already had my assistant manager scheduled to work the shop tomorrow. It will be the most sleep I've had in ten years."

"I'm happy I could help," Gold replied, still a little dumbstruck by Bae's casual acceptance of him in his room and in his family.

"What about you? Are you opening tomorrow?"

"No, I think not. I can take a long weekend."

"Well, you're welcome to swing by for lunch," she offered. "You know, if you want."

"Why don't you two come over to my house instead?" he replied. "You cook all the time. You should take the day off."

"Yeah," she replied. "That sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow for lunch at your place. I'll text you when he wakes up"

By the time he was at home and safely ensconced in his bed, Gold found sleep to be beyond him in his excitement. He'd gotten to hold his son.

He should offer Bailey a bedroom at his house, he decided. There was no sense in waking Belle up every time they went to a movie (and he really hoped this wouldn't be the last time). He could decorate it however he liked. He'd ask Belle tomorrow, and if she thought it was a good idea...his son would have a room at his house.

He was finally getting a chance to be a dad.


	6. Chapter 6

**accio-firewhiskey said:**

Mr. Gold babysits Bae the night Belle has a date

**Anonymous said:**

I have a couple of adoption!verse prompts, if they will fit somewhere: 1) Belle, Bae, and Gold watch tv (or play a game, some family activity) together, and Gold is the one who ends up getting sleepy Bae snuggles when it's past bedtime. 2) Bae talks to Gold about what he remembers about Milah and Killian.

**accio-firewhiskey said:**

Bae wants know about his birth mother

* * *

"It's not too late to cancel," Belle insisted for probably the third time since Gold had arrived. "Really, it's not a big deal. We can just have a family night!"

"You're supposed to be at the restaurant in twenty minutes," Gold reminded her. "It is far too late to cancel."

Belle grimaced again. It was actually a little funny how clearly nervous she was about her first real date in three years. Apparently, Michael Tillman hadn't wasted any time between learning that Belle may be able to acquire free childcare and asking her out. Gold thought he should probably be jealous that the mother of his son (who, he really had to remember, he had kissed once) was going out on a date. However, all he managed to be was thrilled that he was going to spend the entire evening alone with Bae even if it was at his mother's house.

"Mom, it'll be fine," Bae said in what Gold was beginning to recognize as his 'grown-up' voice. "You like Mr. Tillman, and I've been alone with Dad before!"

She whimpered and glanced back and forth between them nervously.

"You look lovely," Gold offered with a shrug. "It'd be a shame to waste it on the likes of us, right Bae?"

Bailey smiled up at his father and then back to his mother, who was glaring as best she could at both of them.

"Alright, you guys win," she replied. "I'll be home probably around ten. Have a good time you two."

Gold almost laughed at how surly she sounded at the prospect of going out for dinner with a nice man whom she got along with. He wondered (although not for the first time) if perhaps Bae hadn't just provided a convenient excuse for her lackluster social life rather than being the cause of it.

"Have a nice night!" he called after her as she stalked to her car.

Once she was out of the driveway and down the street, Bae turned to face him.

"I thought she'd never leave," the boy sighed wearily.

"Well, she did," Gold ruffled his son's hair. "Now, how should we celebrate boy's night?"

Gold was forced to concede that Belle had been right on insisting that he watch Bae at her house and not his. Even though Bae now had a bedroom at his house (and an incredibly well decorated one at that), Belle's was still more properly set up for entertaining a child for long periods of time. A very patient Bae had already taught his father how to play Mario Kart (poorly) and they were now taking an ice cream break before the movie marathon. Gold was, apparently, in dire need of watching the Avengers movies. He doubted they'd get more than one or two in before Bae fell asleep, but liked the idea of having plans for the future.

"Hey Dad?" Bae said suddenly and Gold tried to ignore the way his heart jumped every time he heard the word _dad_ pass his son's lips.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Gold said, setting down his spoon to give Bae his complete focus.

"What was my birth mom like?"

Of all the questions Bae could have asked, this was the last one Gold had anticipated.

"Why do you ask, son?" he managed to force out around the lump that had spontaneously formed in his throat.

Bae shrugged, stirring the chocolate sauce into his remaining ice cream.

"I don't really remember her that much, and mom doesn't like to talk about it. But...you knew her before. I was just wondering..."

"Wondering what?"

"Why she didn't want me."

"Oh, Bae," Gold moved around the table to put his arm around his son. "It wasn't about wanting you."

Bae nodded, obviously close to tears and not willing to let his father see. Gold decided to take a different tack.

"What do you remember about her?" he asked.

"Not a lot. I remember she was pretty, but she acted weird when I was there. I remember Killian more than her."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, he was always home with me. My birth mom went out a lot."

"Your birth mom..." Gold was searching for words to tell his son about Milah without hurting him worse, but also without giving him the desire to know her again. "She was very sick, son."

Bae nodded and looked up at him hopefully.

"She made some bad choices in her life," he continued. "By the time you came along, I think things had gotten out of control. She and Killian brought out the worst parts of each other and you got caught in the middle of that."

"I wish I knew what she looked like," Bae was doing little more than whispering now. "I used to, but now..."

"Now what?"

"Now whenever I try to imagine what she looked like, I just remember Mom."

"Well, that's understandable." Gold said slowly. "Honestly, your mom and your birth mom have similar coloring. Your mom's hair is a little lighter and her eyes are bluer, but they look similar. And your birth mom was a lot taller."

Bae smiled a little and tucked himself under Gold's arm.

"If you'd like, I could probably dig out some old pictures of her," Gold said. "Next time you come over I'll show you some."

"I'd like that," Bae said finally. "But don't tell Mom, she doesn't like talking about my birth mom and Killian."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I think your mom is just worried it'll upset you to talk about it," Gold explained. "I know you don't remember much, but she knew a lot of things about them that you didn't."

Bae seemed to accept this, and Gold wondered how much of his past Bae was aware of. The boy was clearly troubled, but Gold didn't want to push too much or ask for anything he wasn't comfortable revealing. He made a mental note to mention this to Belle later, she'd mentioned that Bae had been in therapy to help with his separation anxiety before. Maybe he should start that again.

"So I think it's time for us to get started with _Thor_, yeah?" Gold finally said.

Bae cheered up at the mention of the Norse god and retreated to the living room to set up the DVD player, leaving his father to clean up the now melted ice cream and put a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

"Hey guys, I'm home!" Belle called out as she walked in the door. She was promptly shushed by the father and son seated on the sofa staring at her television. "It's nice to see you guys, too."

Bae was completely absorbed in the adventures of Captain America, but Gold at least had the good grace to look a little embarrassed and offer her a smile.

"So how was your date?" he asked as Belle kicked her shoes off and came around to sit on the other side of Bae.

"It was fine," she said with a shrug. "How was boy's night?"

"Apparently," Gold said over Bae's indignant shushing, "Bucky Barnes looks a lot like one of your neighbors."

"He really does," Belle agreed. "His daughter goes to Bae's school. Honestly, it took me by surprise the first time I saw him."

Bae shushed again and Belle finally settled in to watch the film with them, stealing popcorn out of a bowl in Bae's lap.

It wasn't overly surprising when Bae fell asleep before Bucky's tragic demise, but what was surprising was that he had curled up burrowed under his father's arm. Belle couldn't help but smile uncontrollably at the incredulous look on Gold's face as he stared at the child pressed against his side.

"So I take it you two had a good night?" she finally asked him. She'd been a little distracted all night worrying about them even though she knew that Bae was safe with his father.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm sorry your date didn't go well."

"Who said it didn't go well?"

"If it went well, you wouldn't have come home at a quarter to ten," he pointed out.

"Good point," she sighed. "I don't know why I said yes to him," she admitted. "I think it was just because we should get along so well."

"How so?"

"I've known him for a few years, Bae likes him, he's got kids around the same age..." she replied with a shrug. "And he's been asking for awhile and there wasn't a reason to say no anymore."

"Ah," he looked back at the screen before elaborating. "He seemed like the kind of man you should be dating?"

"Exactly. I just don't think that's good enough, you know? I shouldn't be out at dinner with a man and be wishing I was at home watching Iron Man for the twelfth time with my son and his father."

"In Michael's defense, it was a good movie."

She threw a piece of popcorn at him and was rewarded with a smile.

"Look at who's a superhero fan now," she teased. "Before long I'll have you taking him to all the premieres."

"He's already gotten me to agree to it so don't bother."

"He's pretty good at that."

"He asked about Milah, by the way," his voice had taken on a serious quality now, a far cry from their earlier banter. "I thought you should know."

"Yeah? What did he want to know?"

"He doesn't remember what she looks like, and he was wondering why she didn't want him."

"Oh," her heart broke for her son and she had to fight the sudden urge to wake him up and reassure him that he had always, _always_ been wanted. "What did you tell him?"

"I said I'd show him pictures of her if he wanted to see them, and that she was in a bad place when he was born."

"That's good," she nodded reassuringly. Nobody had ever warned her it would be this hard, or if they had she hadn't believed them. "Maybe it's time he went back to see Dr. Hopper, it has been a lot to adjust to the last couple months."

"Maybe," he agreed, pulling Bae a little closer. "I can help pay for it, if you'd like."

"We'll see," she said. She knew he liked paying for Bae because it made him feel more a part of his life, but she was still a little uncomfortable taking his money.

Belle sighed again, leaning over Bae. She had to put her head half on Arthur's shoulder to lean against her son, but he didn't seem to mind overmuch. It was nice for just that moment to pretend to be a real family where these questions of biology and finance never arose and everyone knew exactly where they stood with each other.

If only.


	7. Chapter 7

**tinuviel-undomiel said:**

Belle's Adopted Son verse, it's Father's Day and Gold realizes he knows nothing about his son so Belle shows him all of her photo albums if Bae since he was a baby.

**endangeredslug said:**

Adoption prompt: Belle puts together a scrapbook of Bae's childhood as a gift for Mr. Gold.

**anonymousnerdgirl said:**

Adoption!verse: Bae stays the night at Gold's. Belle and Gold freak out so much they spend the entire night on the phone waiting for something to go wrong- the fact that they enjoy talking to each other has absolutely nothing to do with it.

* * *

They had an arrangement about holidays. When Mother's Day had hit them just a little too early on in this tentative new co-parenting relationship for comfort, Belle and Arthur had sat down and cobbled together an agreement as to how to handle holidays. Mothers Day, Fathers Day, and birthdays would be spent at the home of the respective parent. Other holidays and Bae's birthday would be alternated by year, and the entire family would spend the day of the holiday together at the appropriate house. Gifts were only exchanged between Bae and his parents (although assisting him with selecting a present for the other parent was okay). It wasn't romantic, but it was practical and worked well enough, and Belle would have been lying if she'd pretended like it hadn't been really nice to get a surprise on Mother's Day that didn't involve a seven-year-old trying to make pancakes in the kitchen (which, granted,n had been surprising) even if it had just been a hand-painted birdhouse from the craft store and a box of chocolates.

But now, it was June. Father's Day was coming up, Bae was going to be with his father for the entire weekend, and Belle was coming dangerously close to a panic attack the closer it got to time for him to leave. Sure, Arthur Gold only lived about a fifteen minute drive away in good traffic, and sure Bae had slept over there on a few occasions already. The thing is, he'd never been away from home for more than one night at a time before, and he'd only stayed over at his father's house after a nighttime outing so Belle wouldn't have to wake up at odd hours to let them in. This was the first time Arthur would be responsible for meals and bedtimes and making sure he brushed his teeth and washed his hair.

"You know," Arthur said as Belle double and triple checked Bae's suitcase for necessities, "I do live on my own. I'm fairly certain I can handle not starving him to death for two nights."

She just glared at him and sent Bae upstairs to get his comb from where he'd left it on the bathroom sink.

"Honestly, Belle, you're worrying too much. If he forgets something I'll either drive back and get it or go buy a replacement."

"I know," she admitted with a sigh. "He's just never been away so long."

"We'll be fine," he reassured her. "And if I need anything, I have your phone number. Just try to relax and we'll see you on Sunday."

Belle was spared a reply by Bae bounding downstairs, comb in hand and a triumphant look on his face.

"Alright," she said, kissing her son on the forehead. "I'll be by Sunday for lunch to get you. Be good for your dad and if you need me, you've both got my number."

"What are you going to do while I'm gone?" Bae asked.

"Oh, you know," she teased. "Grown-up things."

The truth was, she had no special plans. If she were seeing anyone, she could have had her own sleepover, but she wasn't. Aside from the one date, Michael Tillman had gone nowhere. Not that she was disappointed about that, she'd not really been very interested in him if she were being honest with herself. Still, though, it had been a very long time since she had been interested in anyone, and she was beginning to realize that she really missed having a man in her life especially now that Bae didn't need her as much as he had before.

"Well, let's leave your mother to her grown-up things," Arthur said with a wink as he herded Bae out the door towards his car.

"I'll see you Sunday," she said one last time, receiving a nod of acknowledgment before he walked out after their son. "Call me if you have any questions!" she called after them both. Arthur waved, but otherwise seemed intensely focused on getting the boy into the car and buckled in.

And Belle was all alone.

Belle was curled up on the sofa with a bottle of wine and a romance novel when her phone buzzed with a text notification.

_Question – grilled cheese okay for dinner or need vegetable?_

She let out a very unladylike snort of laughter before sending off her reply.

_Try tomato soup, he'll eat that. Also put tomato slices in sandwich._

A moment passed before the phone buzzed again.

_Okay thanks. Thought he might be trying to pull one over on me._

She giggled before replying,

_No problem, lemme know if he tries anything else._

Belle next heard the phone buzz while she was taking a bubble bath. It was close to bedtime for Bae, and she was having a hard time adjusting to not needing to do anything to put him to sleep. She practically lunged for the phone out of pure loneliness, but couldn't help but smile at the three words she saw there.

_Shower before bedtime?_

She could just imagine the conversation that had led to that message being sent, and quickly shot off her reply.

_Yes, and say you're going to smell his hair afterward to make sure he washed it or else he'll just stand under the water and not actually use soap._

She wished she was there, she realized. She wanted to be a part of the family unit and have these arguments, too. Was this how Arthur felt all the time, or was he used to it? And which was the sadder thought?

Her phone buzzed again.

_He's in the shower. Okay to call you?_

She briefly thought about getting out of the tub, but decided against it. They were adults and there was no reason to cut her own bath short on what was supposed to be her day off from motherhood.

_Sure._

This time, the phone rang instead of buzzing. Belle accepted the call, pressing the phone to her cheek.

"Hello?"

"Hey," she could hear the tired smile in his voice. "You did not warn me that he's a sneaky little devil."

"He'll wear you out, yeah," she replied. "Aside from the texts is everything okay?"

"Yeah, we had a short argument about whether or not bedtime meant lights out or whether he could stay up as long as he was in bed. No need to worry, I won that one."

"That's good to know," she giggled. "I'd hate to think you got outwitted by an elementary school student."

"Don't fret, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve he doesn't know. So how was your day?"

"Dull," she admitted. "I mostly read, and drank a bottle of wine. And now I'm taking a bath. It's been a long night."

"Sounds indulgent, at least."

"That's true," she conceded. "It's been nice to have some time off at least, but it's so quiet. It's just weird without anyone here."

"He's stayed over before," Arthur pointed out.

"That was different. Those times were more like a sleepover, this..."

"It is different," he agreed. "It's the first time I've ever really had to be a parent."

"How's that working out for you?"

"It's...indescribable," he sounded a little awestruck. "But then you should know. I missed ten years of his life, and I can't get that back, but at least I can have this now. Even if he keeps trying to convince me that you let him watch horror movies."

"Yeah, don't let him do that," she replied. "He will be awake all night and try to climb into your bed."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Everyone makes mistakes," she said with a slight blush. "But you'll get the hang of it eventually."

"I know, it's just a lot to learn."

"It is, but he's worth it," she replied, reclining in the tub a little. She was suddenly sleepy, she'd never noticed how calming his voice was.

"He is," he agreed. "It's just hard. I don't know any of his stories, and it's hard to parent him without that kind of base to build off of. I should go, I hear the water turning off."

"Yeah, probably a good idea."

"Call you tomorrow?"

"Definitely, it's been nice talking to you."

"You too, Belle."

She climbed out of the tub, wrapping herself in a towel and retreating to her bedroom. An idea was forming that would keep her company all of Saturday, and she was itching to start.

Saturday went much the same way, with the occasional texted question. The only difference, though, was that now she had something to amuse herself with. He called her again after Bae went to sleep that night, sounding even more tired and still pleased with himself. She did enjoy his company, even over the phone, which was a pleasant surprise. They got along very well, all things considered. She supposed she was pretty lucky, Bae's biological father could have been nearly anyone and he'd ended up being a man whose company she enjoyed. It was nice.

By Sunday, Belle was damn sure she'd made a good choice even though it technically went against their prior holiday arrangements. When she pulled into his driveway at lunchtime on Father's Day, Bae came running across the lawn to meet her.

"Hey Mom! We're cooking outside today!"

He pulled her around to the back porch where his father had a grill set up with hamburgers cooking on it.

"Well, well, well," he said with a smile at her. "Look who finally showed up!"

"I brought you a present," she said as cheerfully as she could, enjoying the look of shock that shot across his face. "I promise it doesn't bite."

"Well, now I have to buy you something for your birthday," he said smoothly.

"Don't worry, it's not really a Father's Day present, I made copies of all of my photo albums. I should have probably made some for you awhile ago."

His jaw dropped a little and she rubbed his back comfortingly.

"I figured we could all go through them later, I shouldn't be the only one who knows Bae's story."


	8. Chapter 8

tinuviel-undomiel said:

Adopted Son verse!: Belle and Bae always have a picnic on the first day of summer and this time Gold gets to go with them.

* * *

Belle had always had a soft spot for solstices and equinoxes. She really liked celestial events in general, but the fact that it was the longest day of the year was particularly special. She and Bae had a family tradition of going on a picnic in the local park, and this year Bae's father would be joining them as well.

Gold prepared for this the way he seemed to prepare for everything – by expecting literally anything to happen. Belle and Bae brought a basket and a blanket; Gold arrived with an umbrella, another blanket, bug spray, sunscreen, a first aid kit, and a bottle of wine in a satchel slung over his shoulder (which, Belle had to admit, she was eternally grateful for as he always brought excellent wine).

"Are we expecting a Biblical plague?" she teased him when she saw his collection of paraphernalia. "A swarm of insects? Maybe some light boils?"

"You'll be thanking me if it starts to rain," he reminded her. "Or if mosquitoes hit."

"It's a picnic," she reminded him. "The outdoors can occasionally happen. Anyway, it's a beautiful day out."

He conceded the point, trailing her and Bae on their way to their usual spot near the duck pond. Once they were there, Bae left his mother and father to set up while he ran off to kick around the soccer ball he'd brought with him.

"He plays football, too?" Arthur asked her curiously as he held one end of the blanket for her.

"He plays everything a little bit," Belle replied. "Baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming...if there's a team for it, he will sign up."

"Is he good at it?"

She could hardly keep the grin down at his barely concealed interest.

"Did you play when you were younger, then?" she said as nonchalantly as possible.

"A little," he admitted sheepishly. "I was quite good, actually, before I tore the cartilage in my knee anyway."

"Well, he's my son, so I have to enjoy watching him," she replied. "But between you and me, the ten-to-eleven-year-old group is not generally made up of future professionals."

He nodded, but she could see he was scarcely listening to her. Instead, he was totally focused on his son attempting to kick a ball into the air and bounce it off his head. How very like a father – Belle had sudden visions of the soccer camps and training sessions that were in her son's future. She was going to need a lot more wine to get through that.

It was killing him to watch and not be able to participate, she could tell. She'd never really put much thought into his leg even though in the past he'd expressed discontent with the idea of not being able to be an athletic father, she'd just assumed it was about getting to know Bae and that the superhero movie idea had solved the problem and moved on. To know that he had been an athlete in his life before them and that it had been taken away from him like that made her heart ache for him. It must be so hard to have a son who enjoyed everything he'd loved and yet not be able to share it with him.

Belle plopped down onto the blanket, smoothing out the corners and pretending not to notice the careful way Arthur had to lower himself down to the blanket to sit next to her.

"So," she decided to indulge him. "Tell me more about this secret career as a footballer of yours."

He fixed her with a wicked grin.

"It was hardly a _career,_ dearie," he winked. "I did some semi-pro though, so I'm not sure how that counts."

"Were you very good?"

"I went on some try-outs," he said with a shrug. "But no pro team in Scotland would have me. I probably should have come to America sooner, maybe I'd have had a shot here."

He reclined on the blanket, cradling his head in his hands and staring wistfully at the clouds in the sky.

"Do you miss it?" She couldn't help but ask. She should change the subject, get him talking about something cheerful, but she wanted to know him. Not just the parts of himself that he presented to the world, but the parts he hid as well. They were becoming great friends, and this was a part of friendship.

"Not as much as I thought I would," he admitted after a moment. "Immediately after I was hurt I thought my life was over, of course. But I found new things to fill my time like uni and marriage and my shop. And now I have my son."

"That's a good way to look at it," she replied, laying down next to him on the blanket, her head resting in the crook of her elbow. "I always envied people who had something like that they loved. I never really had that one thing that I was passionate about until Bae came around. I sometimes wonder if I missed out."

He glanced at her.

"For what it's worth, you are an excellent mother."

"Thank you," she replied sincerely. "I just...I feel like there should be more to me than parenting and running a flower shop, you know?"

"Well, what would you have done if you hadn't done that?"

She thought for a moment.

"I'd have finished my masters in library science, maybe gone to work in a university library. I like research."

"That's something."

"It's not really a hobby, though," she replied. "You can't really do research for fun."

"I suppose not," he said with a smile. "Why don't you take some night classes, then? See if anything strikes your fancy?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to dismiss his idea, but really, why should she? She worked long hours, but she had an assistant manager and her hours were flexible when she needed them to be – one night a week wouldn't be particularly onerous, after all. And he would gladly take Bae.

"I'll think about it," she said finally. "It would be nice to talk to other adults for a change. Not that you don't count, it's just...our lives both revolve around him. It might be nice to not be Bae's mother one night a week."

He didn't reply, simply nodding in agreement.

"I'm glad you came with us," she said as well. "It's a beautiful day, and it's much nicer to be here with company."

He looked over at her in surprise, like he'd not realized she might enjoy his conversation. Arthur was spared responding, though, as Bae chose that moment to return.

"I'm hungry," he said as he threw himself dramatically onto the grass near his mother. "Can we eat now?"

"Yes, we can eat now," she replied, pushing herself up to a seated position and digging through her basket for a package of baby wipes. "Wipe your hands off first, though."

Bae grumbled, but did as he was told. Arthur also accepted a wipe and fussily scrubbed his hands clean as Belle pulled containers of cold fried chicken and the accompanying side dishes out, setting them on the blanket and preparing the plates.

Both of her boys accepted them with thanks, though Arthur's were a bit more heartfelt than Bae's, and she thanked her lucky stars not for the first time that somehow in this big wide world she had found both of these two people to share her life with.

Belle couldn't imagine a more perfect start to summer.


	9. Chapter 9

** accio-firewhiskey said:**

Adoption prompt: Bae misses having enough alone time with Belle

**anonymousnerdgirl said:**

Adoption verse!prompt: Gold isn't sure when his nightly phone calls with Belle became a part of his routine, but he's never felt more alone than when they skip one.

* * *

It had been decades since Gold had given much thought to summer. He'd always been more of a fan of cool weather, and school years ran January to December back home. By the time he'd lived someplace where summer breaks had been a 'thing' he'd been married and crippled. He'd gone on vacations before, of course, early on in his marriage. But generally those were either early or late in the season, when attractions were less crowded and children were in school. He had absolutely not been prepared for the sheer amount of time Bae was available to him during the summer. It took all of his willpower to open his shop at all knowing that he could instead be visiting with his son.

Belle was really great about it, too. He suspected at least part of it was her relief at having a reliable place to leave him so she could work, but he decided not to question it when he was allowed to have Bae at the shop with him for a little while in the afternoons or spend an evening with the two of them.

He was even spending more time with Belle than before which had come as a bit of a shock. After their Father's Day weekend phone calls, they'd reached a new routine – the parent he was staying with would call the other one after his bedtime and discuss his day and any new developments. Belle was making a concerted effort to involve him more in Bae's life which he found he couldn't really express his feelings about because they mostly involved grinning like a loon.

Until one day, it didn't happen. He went through his day as usual, shutting up shop around five and returning home. They'd already planned on him not coming over for dinner that night, as Bae had a meeting with his therapist and an appointment with the tutor Gold had hired for his dyslexia that evening, but he had still assumed that Belle would call him.

He was on pins and needles waiting, but Bae's bedtime came and went with nary a sound from his phone (and he'd checked about once every thirty seconds). Nine came and went, then so did ten and as the clock crept closer and closer to eleven with no word from Belle he began to panic. What if there had been an accident? What if Belle and Bae were in the hospital right now? What if he never had another chance to see them again? Would anyone tell him? Was he listed on any paperwork?

His throat was threatening to close as he finally lunged for his phone, finding Belle in his contact list and hitting the call button. The phone rang twice before sending him to voicemail, and he damn near threw his phone against the wall before the text notification went off.

_Sorry, I'll call back in a few to explain._

He stared at the text on the screen as though it would suddenly rearrange itself into something that made sense, but no explanation was forthcoming. It was another twenty minutes before the phone range and Belle's name flashed on his screen. He nearly dropped the phone in his haste to hit the _talk_ button.

"Belle?" he said into the phone, rather than _hello_.

"Hey," she said softly. "Sorry I didn't call earlier, it's been kind of a weird night."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," she sounded apologetic now. "I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to worry you."

He could feel himself beginning to lose his temper but he couldn't stop the explosion that was coming.

"Oh no, I wasn't worried at all," he snapped sarcastically. "Just because the mother of my child doesn't contact me all day and I have no way of knowing if they're alive or dead in a ditch someplace why would I worry? In fact, I've never been more relaxed in my life!"

The line was silent for a few minutes, and Gold felt the anger begin to drain from him leaving him simply sad.

"Are you finished?" she finally said. Her voice was lacking all the happiness that he had become used to hearing when they spoke.

"Yeah," he finally said. "Where were you today?"

"I was spending the day with Bae," she said. "In the car he asked me if I could keep a secret and then told me he missed spending time alone just the two of us. I didn't want to interfere with any of our family plans this week, so he and I spent the evening playing boardgames and eating pizza. He just went to bed when I called you."

"Oh," he put his hand over his eyes and leaned back in his chair. He was such an idiot, he'd been with them every day for months. Of course Bae missed his mother.

"Yeah," she snapped. "Is that a good enough excuse for you?"

"You still should have let me know when I didn't hear from you," he mumbled.

He heard her take a deep breath and let it out slowly on the other end.

"You're right," she replied. "I should have texted you. The thing is, I'm not used to needing to account for how I raise my child to anyone else. We're doing a good job with this coparenting, but it's still awkward as hell for me sometimes."

"I want to be more than a dinner and weekend dad, you know," he said finally. "I don't want you to have to explain yourself but I'd like to at least be involved."

"I know," he could hear the resignation in her voice. "Believe me, I do. I'm just not really sure how to go about doing that. I like you and all, and I'm glad you're his dad, but it's hard to be a team when I spend all day with him by myself."

"I could take him more often," he replied. "Split the custody up more evenly at least until school starts."

"But then we're still back to one of us being alone with him all the time," she pointed out. "And quite frankly, we're getting to a point in this where he's going to have to start living by regular rules at your house. I can't always be the bad guy, and you can't be the fun dad if you're going to be more than a weekend dad. That's not how it works."

They were both quiet for a long moment, Gold was tense and exhausted and just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a week. He and Belle hadn't had an argument since the first day he appeared on her doorstep, and he found he didn't like it at all. She'd somehow become his closest friend in the last few months, possibly the best friend he'd ever had. Having her upset with him felt like being stabbed. He searched frantically for an answer to their problem, some solution he could offer to solve this problem.

"What if we went away together?" he finally blurted out.

"_What?_"

"As a family," he clarified. "You, me, and Bae. A family vacation. We could share the parenting responsibilities for a week or two and come up with a system that worked for when we got back. He'd be with both of us all the time."

"Arthur..." she sounded unconvinced.

"This could really work," he insisted. "You wouldn't have to be the bad guy and I could get used to being in charge of enforcing rules but you'd be there if there was a problem. And I'd pay for the whole thing."

She sighed.

"All the same problems would just be waiting for us when we got back."

"Not necessarily. Most parents at least live together for a few years before they end up raising a child separately, we never had that. This would at least be some kind of foundation we could build on and it's a lot less pressure than one of us staying in the other one's home."

"Alright," she said after a minute. "A family vacation it is. We can work out the details tomorrow and then tell Bae at dinner."

"Thank you, Belle," he felt the relief flooding through him at her acquiescence.

"Don't thank me yet," she said. "You've never spent a week in a hotel room with a ten-year-old before."

"I'll get a suite," he suggested. "Bae can have his own room and everything."

"Wow," she said, her voice was back to cheerful but he could sense the slight exhaustion behind it that mirrored his own. "If I'd known you were going to offer a _nice_ hotel I might have suggested you take us on vacation a few weeks ago."

"Anything for the mother of my child," he said a bit flirtatiously, hoping to get a giggle out of her and he wasn't disappointed. "But seriously, Belle, I would do anything for you. Even if it's just backing off for a little bit."

It would kill him to do it, but he would back off if she asked. As much as he valued his relationship with his son, he valued his son's continuing happiness more and that was entirely dependent on Belle.

"I wouldn't ever ask that," she said, sounding mildly affronted by the suggestion. "Bae loves you, and you love him. You should be in his life. I just think it's time we start acting more like partners and less like you're my babysitter. And that goes for my behavior, too."

"Well, when you put it that way who am I to argue?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "Hey, it's getting kind of late. I'll call you tomorrow at lunch so we can talk about this then?"

"Sounds good," he replied. "I am sorry I lost my temper with you."

"No, no it's fine. I'm sorry I worried you. I should have at least let you know I'd be calling late."

"Don't worry about it," he said. "We just have a lot to deal with right now."

"Yeah," she sighed. "We really do. Maybe I should make an appointment with Dr. Hopper for myself."

"I'm not even going to touch that one," he replied. "But anyway, you were going to bed. Sleep well, dearie."

"You too," and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Goodnight, Arthur."

"Goodnight, Belle."


	10. Chapter 10

accio-firewhiskey said:

Prompt: they go on a short trip and everyone assumes they are a biological family/married couples

* * *

Belle hadn't been on a real vacation since spring break in college. She and Bae took trips every couple of years, usually going to the lake or maybe a weekend in the city, but with her job and their lack of extended family they rarely took proper vacations. Their last one was probably the year he was six and they went to Disney. Not that they spent their summers doing nothing – Bae always went to summer camp for a few weeks in August and they would spend at least one long weekend away.

It was just hard for Belle to take time off, although she'd probably been taking too much recently. She was so lucky to have Anton (or as Bae called him, 'Uncle Tiny') stick around after her father died. He'd been the only employee at the time, and since Belle had so little experience running the shop he'd been more than happy to take over as assistant manager. Sometimes she thought it might be a good idea to ask him to buy in as a partner, then she could do what she was good at (keeping the books, managing the business side of things) and let him do what he was good at (everything else). She'd never really been able to afford to sell part of the shop, though. He did definitely deserved a bonus after all the time she'd had to take for parenting related things this year, though. She'd have to figure something out.

As they walked into the lavish hotel on the Jersey Shore that Arthur had made reservations at, all thoughts of business evaporated. This was far nicer than any hotel Belle had stayed in, and definitely nicer than any building that Bae had ever even set foot in. She had the overwhelming urge to remind her son of his manners, but he seemed spooked enough by the fact that there was a doorman to be on his best behavior.

"Good morning, sir," the perky blonde at the front desk said as they approached. "Can I help you?"

"Checking in," Gold replied. "The reservation should be under the name 'Gold.'"

The girl typed something into her computer, the polished customer service smile never leaving her face.

"Hey Mom," Bae whispered loud enough to be heard by everyone despite his best efforts at subtlty. "Can I go look at the fish?"

He pointed over towards a massive aquarium in the middle of the lobby. Belle looked over at Arthur before nodding to Bae.

"Don't get your fingerprints on the glass," she called after him as he bounded off to the elaborate display.

"How many key cards do you need?" the concierge broke in.

"Two should be fine, thank you," he said after flashing a quick glance towards Belle.

"Alright," the blonde replied, typing some more things into her computer and then presenting two hotel key cards to Arthur.

He handed one to Belle before putting the other into the inner pocket of his jacket. He then signed a few papers that were set out in front of him, and the blonde summoned a bellhop to take their bags up to their room.

"Have a great visit, Mr. and Mrs. Gold!" the girl chirped as they walked off to reclaim Bae.

Arthur nearly tripped over his own feet, paling and shooting a horrified glance at Belle. For her part, Belle had to cover her mouth to prevent the laughter from bubbling up out of her. She was actually a little surprised neither of them had thought of this happening sooner. They were on friendly terms and shared a child – the obvious conclusion to draw was that they were married or at least _together_.

Arthur's eyes had gone huge and he seemed to be searching for some way to inform the girl that she'd misread the situation, but Belle decided to just leave it be.

"Thank you," she said over her shoulder. "We will."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the waiting bellhop as Bae returned to her side, eager to see their room and also to tell his mother about how cool the fish in the tank were.

"You didn't have to go along with that," Arthur muttered into her ear once they were in the elevator. "I'd have set her straight."

"There was no need," she replied. "What's the harm in letting her think it? We're only here a week and I wasn't really planning on picking anyone up by the pool on a family vacation."

He gave her a strange little smile.

"She's going to think you're a trophy wife," he replied and she smirked at the teasing note in his voice.

"And a damn good one," she said smugly.

He did laugh at that, loud enough that both the bellhop and Bae looked at them. Luckily, they arrived at their floor before either could ask what was so funny, because Belle wasn't entirely sure she wanted to explain it to them. The bellhop led them to the correct room, swinging the door open and letting them in before the cart containing their luggage.

The room was beautiful and huge, and the bellhop took a few moments to go around explaining the various amenities. There were three bedrooms, two of which overlooked the beach and the third looked out towards the pier. It also had two bathrooms, a kitchenette, a sitting area, and a balcony that stretched all the way across the two ocean view bedrooms and the sitting area. Bae immediately lay claim to the pier view room (most likely due to the Ferris wheel clearly visible in that direction) and hauling his bag into it excitedly, leaving Belle and Gold to the other two.

The bellhop also made sure to note that there was a complimentary babysitter on-site should the two adults want to see anything without a ten-year-old underfoot. Gold handled this one a little better than he had the concierge, but he still seemed uncomfortable with the idea that the two of them were an item. Still, he tipped the young man generously before shutting the door and leaving the small family to their own devices.

"Well, you definitely know how to show your fake wife a good time," she teased as she walked to the window. "This hotel is fantastic."

He grimaced before joining her.

"It's not really funny," he sighed.

She frowned, glancing over to him.

"Does it bother you?" she asked. "Having people think we're together?"

"It should bother you," he insisted. "For one thing, what if Bae hears?"

"Then we'll explain it to him," she replied. "It's not going to stop happening because you want it to, so we're going to have to deal with it one way or the other. Personally, I'd rather make a joke out of it."

"I just don't want him thinking that's what this is about," Arthur said softly. "I don't want him to think that we're going to start dating and either get his hopes up or get upset about sharing you."

"We can talk to him about it tonight if you want, let him know exactly what's going on. He's a smart kid, he'll understand."

"You're right," he said after a pause. "We can talk about it tonight. As a family."

She smiled at the subtle change in his voice at the word _family._ He was so desperate to have a family and to be loved. From the first time he'd come to dinner, she'd known he _wanted_ to remarry and yet in the ten years since his last marriage ended he hadn't. Had he even dated in that time, or had he just been alone? Maybe, she realized, it wasn't just worry for Bae that caused his discomfort with the idea of them as a couple. Maybe it was something he hadn't even known he'd wanted.

She opened her mouth to try to offer him some kind of comfort, an assurance that he had them now one way or the other, but she couldn't quite think of the words he needed to hear. Bae, however, chose that exact moment to make everything better.

He dashed back into the sitting area wearing his bathing suit.

"Mom! Dad! This place is the best!" he effused. "Can we go swimming now?"

"Maybe you should have asked before you changed into your swim trunks?" Belle teased him. "We could have had plans to go to a museum or the aquarium or something first."

"But you don't have any plans!" he insisted. "Or else you'd have said something in the car."

"I can have plans I don't tell you about," she replied. "But...if your dad doesn't have a problem with swimming right now I don't either."

She glanced over at Arthur. This had been part of their arrangement for this trip. She was going to defer to him in matters of Bae for the duration of their vacation, at least in front of their son. In return, Arthur would be the one to do any behavioral corrections that arose. Any disagreements were going to be handled out of earshot.

Arthur fidgeted a little bit at Bae's expectant (and maybe slightly confused) look at him, before finally nodding.

"Yeah, absolutely," he said. "We can go to the beach. Just give your mother and I a few minutes to get changed."

"You can get a start on your sunscreen while we change," Belle told Bae. "It's in my beach bag by the door."

Bae looked at both of them with the biggest smile on his face she'd seen in years as he went to retrieve the bag.

It didn't take too long for Belle and Arthur to change, and it took him a little less time than her, but Bae was still impatiently stomping around before it was finally time to leave. Arthur was wearing a simple pair of trunks with a tropical pattern on them, along with a white linen shirt. She'd never seen him look so casual, but she liked it. He was still leaning on his cane, and she wasn't entirely sure how well he was going to handle the sand, but vacations seemed to suit him.

Belle's bathing suit was brand new (she'd really not had one worth wearing to a nice hotel) but she liked its 40s style nautical theme. She also had a giant floppy sunhat and a sheer white coverup because Belle was pale and didn't fancy also being pink.

"Alright, are we ready to go?" she asked, and Bae nodded enthusiastically. "Did you get sunscreen on?"

"I got my entire front," he replied. "And Dad got my back. Can we _please_ go down now?"

Belle glanced at Arthur, reminding him that this was his responsibility today.

"Yeah, I think the grown-ups can deal with sunscreen on the beach," he replied, glancing discretely at Belle to make sure this was the right answer.

She replied with a quick nod and he relaxed visibly. Bae was looking between them suspiciously, but didn't bother to ask any questions and risk delaying beach time any more than necessary. Belle took her beach bag, handed Arthur the one containing the sandcastle making supplies (just in case the waves lost their luster), and they were on their way.

Once they reached the beach itself, Bae ran off in the direction of the water, only waving absently at his mother's shouted reminder to stay where she could see him.

"Do I have to remind you about sunscreen, too?" she teased Arthur where he stood next to her.

"No, no," he replied. "I'm Scottish and have been outside before, I am _quite_ familiar with the need for sunscreen."

"Excellent," she set her bag down, spreading out towels for each of them to sit on.

He got down onto the towel much the same way he'd gotten onto the blanket for their picnic and she once again pretended not to notice how much harder it was for him. He had his pride.

"I uhh, may need help with my back," he said softly.

"How about I do yours if you do mine?" she replied, sliding off her coverup and offering him the bottle of sunscreen. "Bae usually helps, but he's otherwise occupied and also not very good at it."

"Well, then I'll try to do as good as a ten-year-old who wants to hurry up and go swimming," he promised her.

They sat in silence for awhile, splitting the bottle of lotion between them and watching Bae frolicking in the waves.

"If that boy gets to be twenty without breaking his neck I am going to throw a party," she grumbled as she watched her son flopping around in the surf. "I swear he's trying to give me gray hair."

"I was the same way at his age," Arthur said softly. "He'll be fine."

"I know," she sighed. "And you'll notice how I'm not making him stop. But I'm his mother, I'm supposed to worry."

"That's true," he replied thoughtfully. "Want me to go play with him?"

"Up to you," she said with a shrug. "However, if you're going to go keep an eye on our son by yourself then I have to let you know I will be sitting here quietly enjoying the sunshine and reading a book. Also possibly taking a nap."

"It's good of you to make that sacrifice for me," he said drolly as he got back to his feet. "I'll keep you in my prayers."

"That's sweet of you, but I'm sure I'll be alright. I'm a big girl, after all."

She winked at him before putting on her sunglasses and stretching out on the towel on her stomach so she could watch them for a little while. He rolled his eyes and limped down to the waves where Bae played.

The two seemed to have a good time, moving into deeper water where Arthur could move with less pain and was less likely to get knocked over by the breaking surf. Bae didn't seem to mind, instead getting his father to toss him out into deeper water before swimming back, begging for it to happen again. She smiled and watched them awhile longer over the top of her book.

One way or the other, they were a family now. Maybe not in the way everyone was going to assume, but she wouldn't trade this family for any other one in the world.


	11. Chapter 11

** Anonymous said:**

I'm not sure if this would be a full prompt, but I can see Gold wanting to take hundreds pictures of Bae while on vacation.

**Anonymousnerdgirl said:**

Adoption!prompt: Gold goes a bit crazy taking pictures of the family vacation.

**Ctdg said:**

a prompt for your adoption!verse if you're interested : they lose bae somewhere, i don't know maybe at the pier or a fair during a walk, and for the first time gold gets very angry with bae when finally they find hi,. sorry the bit of angst

* * *

He knew he was overdoing it, but Belle and Bae were being so patient with him he couldn't help snapping pictures of every little thing. He'd never had a family before, and though he had Bae's old photo albums thanks to Belle, there was something special about taking pictures of things that he'd have memories of.

He could see the weary patience in Belle's expression, and Bae was a kind enough boy to follow his mother's lead and pose in front of everything his father directed him towards. Belle even cheerfully took the camera from him on more than one occasion so that he and Bae could be in pictures together, or found strangers to hand it to so that he could have a few with all three of them. He made a mental note to figure out some way to thank her for not beating him over the head with the camera like he could tell she secretly wanted to every time he made them stop in front of yet another point of interest and smile so he could capture the moment on film.

It was the third day of their trip and so far they'd indulged him at the beach and the aquarium, and now they were indulging him at the pier.

"Hey Dad?" Bae finally said. "I'm going to go look at the stingrays, okay?"

Gold couldn't suppress the sheepish look at his face as his son wandered off to the edge of the pier to look down at the stingrays that were jumping out of the water and flapping through the air like they were attempting to fly before landing back in the ocean. He'd not really realized how much his son liked marine animals before this trip, but made a mental note of it for later. Maybe his son would like a fishtank.

He snapped a few pictures of Bae at the pier's edge, just in case. Belle rolled her eyes at him, but her patient smile took any sting out of the gesture.

"Come on," she said, taking his arm and steering him towards a nearby bench. "We can watch him from here. You probably should rest your leg, anyway."

She was right, of course. He'd been pushing himself far too hard with all the swimming and walking they'd been doing. He wouldn't admit to it, of course, but he had started popping the prescription painkillers his doctor had given him (and that he had _stopped_ taking entirely years ago) just to go to sleep the last couple of nights. Maybe he'd not been as subtle about his knee as he thought he'd been.

"You know," she said when he failed to reply to her, "you won't forget everything just because you don't have a picture of it."

"It's not just that," he said with a sigh. "I've missed his entire life. I have ten years of photo albums that I'm not in, and ten years of memories that I don't have."

"You're not going to make up for all that in a two week vacation, either. There will be other albums, and other memories," she promised. "And you'll be in all of them."

"I just want to have something that's _ours_," he replied. "You and Bae...you're the only family I've got, you know."

She smiled at him thoughtfully before hooking her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder. He wondered briefly how he'd become so used to Belle touching him. Nobody touched him. He'd been alone for ten years and he thought he was used to it, then one day he had walked into her house and suddenly he wasn't used to it anymore.

"You know, you're important to both of us," she said softly. "You're his father. He loves you."

He bit back the small twinge of disappointment at her reassurance that _Bae_ loved him immediately after her proclamation that he was important to _both_ of them. He wasn't sure where it had come from, but he was inclined to blame the damn hotel employees who kept assuming she was his wife. It made it damn hard to keep thinking about her platonically. He'd been a little afraid of this happening the moment he found out how good she was, but after her date with Michael Tillman he'd been congratulating himself on how very not jealous he had been of the other man. Of course, she'd been reluctant to even go on that date and had come home to spend the rest of the evening sitting on the sofa with him and their son – he realized now that might have been part of his easy acceptance.

He couldn't let himself fall for her, dammit. That was just simply not even an option. Belle was the mother of his son, and that was all. She was lovely and kind to him, of course he was fond of her. It was only natural, really, for him to develop feelings for her. The problem was, there was no way those feelings could ever amount to anything.

For one thing, she was completely out of his league. For another, pursuing any sort of romantic relationship with her would either end in marriage or, more likely, in his son being hurt – there was no third option. They were far too close for it to be a possibility, even if she did reciprocate; which she most certainly did not, or else she'd have been as upset as him by people thinking they were a couple.

It was like some sort of cruel joke. Rip a man's heart to pieces, leave him in solitude for a decade, and then offer him everything he could ever want in a family but force him to live apart from them and never be able to risk getting any closer. Life sure as hell had a strange sense of humor sometimes.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Belle's voice broke into his thoughts.

"I was just thinking," he searched desperately for an answer that wasn't the horrible truth. "I was just thinking about how strange fate is sometimes."

It was close enough to not being a lie, anyway.

"Yeah?" she lifted her head to look at him. "How so?"

"Well," he began, "what if I'd never found the box with his birth certificate in it? Or not seen the doctor's reports with his eye color listed? Or if Milah never lost custody? What if she'd left him at the hospital earlier in the day and your friend had been able to find a foster family for him? What if he'd had a different mother? Different parents? Would I still be here with you watching him?"

"Probably not," she agreed. "Luckily all those things went our way, isn't it?"

"I'd have tried to take him, you know," he said, momentarily unable to look at her. "That first day. I came to tell you I was taking him."

"What changed your mind?" she sounded somber, but not angry and he hated himself now for ever having contemplated fighting her in the first place.

"You fainted, and he came inside and saw you and he was so upset and so protective. He barely wanted me near you, and I remember thinking _well, that's it, then. I lost my chance to have him because he'll always love her more._" He took a deep breath before facing her. "Do you hate me?"

"Should I?"

"Probably," he said with a shrug.

"Well, I don't. I was nothing to you then but a name on a piece of paper and he was your son. You didn't owe me anything, and you ultimately didn't end up taking him. You've always tried to do what was best for him. If our positions had been reversed, I'd probably have done the same thing."

"Would you?"

"I think most anybody would have. You hear cases like ours all the time where everyone wants full custody and nobody ever stops to think about the child. I'm proud of how far we've come for him. It's not always easy, but I think Bae is happier than he's ever been before as a result. And you're a really good dad. I'm glad to have you here."

Gold was a little breathless at her easy absolution. He'd never planned to tell her that for fear of what she would think of him. He'd not wanted to risk putting so much distance between them, and yet he had told her and she had forgiven him immediately. More than forgiven him, she didn't seem to find him in need of her forgiveness. His heart felt like it might just stop altogether.

"I'm glad we're making this work, too," he finally replied. "I'm happy to know both of you, not just him."

He was pretty sure it was the closest he'd ever get to telling Belle that in his secret fantasies of a perfect family, she was always there – that she was the thing he tried the hardest never to let himself want. He'd been successful at hiding it for the most part, even from himself, but he wanted her just the same and this trip was only serving to reinforce how very much he did.

She smiled one of her half-smiles at him, almost as though she was reading his mind before she spoke.

"Why don't we get Bae and go find something horrible and deep fried for lunch? You can take a picture and everything."

"That sounds like a very good idea," he replied, grateful for her interruption to his thoughts. "And I will take _several_ pictures."

He stood up slowly, his knee still paining him, and glanced around looking for Bae. Only his son wasn't standing at the railing anymore. Gold glanced around but didn't see him anywhere on the part of the pier they'd been sitting at. Belle seemed to realize what was wrong the exact second he did, her head whipping around as she scanned the crowd for signs of their child.

"Do you see Bae?" he asked her, even though he knew the answer before he asked.

"He was here a second ago," she said frantically. "He must have wandered away."

Right, wandered away. Gold clung to that thought, because if he wandered away he was still probably safe someplace. If he wandered away, it meant no one had snatched him away and that he hadn't fallen into the water.

"You look back where we've already been and I'm going to go try the other side of the boardwalk," she was suddenly in full on military commander mode, all sense of sweetness gone.

If anything, he was grateful for her cool head because he had completely frozen.

"He...he can swim, right?" Gold asked her timidly, looking around the barricade that blocked the tourists from the ocean.

"What?" it took her a second to catch up with him. "Oh, yeah. Of course. He's a great swimmer. And he'd have called for us if he fell."

He wasn't sure which one of them she was reassuring, but he was willing to cling to it like a lifeline.

"Go look for him, if you see a cop or a lifeguard, stop them and ask for help," she reminded him. "Call me as soon as you find him."

And with that, Belle dashed off to the side of the pier they hadn't yet visited. Gold was damn near frozen with terror, but he had to look. His son needed him to look for him. He finally got his legs working again and began going back the way they had come. Stopping at everyplace they had visited to ask if they'd seen a little boy alone. None of them had. He looked desperately for Bae, but also for a police officer or a lifeguard or _anyone_ with any kind of authority who he could go to for assistance finding his child.

Bae could be anywhere, he could be with anyone. He could have lost him forever because they'd not been paying attention. Why hadn't they been paying attention? Had anything they'd said been important enough to lose their child over?

He was pushing himself too hard, his knee was killing him and it was all he could do to keep going, but Bae _needed_ him and he couldn't miss this opportunity to be there for his son again. He couldn't, and he wouldn't. If they just found the boy safe and sound he'd never not be watching him again, he promised. He'd never take another risk like that again.

The phone ringing snapped him out of his self-recriminations and he fumbled getting it out of his pocket.

"Belle?" he said into the phone breathlessly.

"I found him," she said. "He's fine, we're going back to the bench now."

"I'll be right there," Gold felt all the terror and tension in him focus on one task – he had to see his son again and know that he was okay.

It took him longer to get back to the bench than it had taken him to walk through the pier in the first place, adrenaline no longer carrying him and his knee reminding him with every step that he'd nearly failed his son. Finally, though, he saw them and his legs just about went out from under him in relief. Belle was giving a stern look to a sheepish looking Bae, but when she saw him she gently pushed Bae over in his direction. Bae trotted over solemnly and reached his father just in time to prevent Gold from simply collapsing.

Gold dropped to his good knee, wrapping his arms tight around Bae. The boy accepted this reaction patiently, but after awhile began squirming until finally Gold released him.

"He walked away to follow the stingrays," Belle had appeared while he was focused on his son. "We already talked about how he needs to let someone know before he wanders off."

"I'm really sorry," Bae seemed near to crying at the realization that both his parents had been so worried about him. "I didn't want to interrupt and I didn't think I'd go so far away. I'm sorry, Dad."

"No, I'm not angry," Gold reassured him. "I was just so worried about you, Bae."

He pulled his son into another tight hug, and this time Bae wrapped his arms back around him and buried his face in his neck. He felt a slight dampness there and realized that Bae was crying. That set Gold crying, too, and next thing he knew Belle was knelt down next to them, her arms draped around both their shoulders in an awkward hug as she mumbled little shushing noises at both of them.

He wasn't quite sure how long they sat like that, but eventually the moment was over. Gold and Bae both pretending like they hadn't just been crying on the other one and Belle petting both their hair comfortingly.

"Now, how about lunch?" she broke the silence.

"Yes," he agreed, clearing his throat. "I think before that little scare someone said something about deep fried?"

"I remember the same thing," Belle replied, offering her hand to help him up and he accepted with a grimace. "I think after this little adventure, whatever it is should also be on a stick."

"Deep fried and on a stick it is," Gold said, patting Bae's head gently one more time just to reassure himself that the boy was really fine and hadn't been lost forever. "How does that sound, Bae?"

"Can we get funnel cake, too?" the boy asked quietly, as though afraid of being rebuked again.

"Funnel cake sounds like a marvelous idea," Gold replied. "Come on, let's go find a stand."

Bae was careful to remain in view the rest of the day, and Belle stuck close to Gold's side (and always next to his bad leg) until they returned to the hotel after a feast of corn dogs, french fries, lemonade, and funnel cake. It was only once they were safely ensconced in the safety of the room and he could finally be by himself for a moment that he let himself accept he idea that he'd damn near lost his son – his entire _family_ – with nothing to show for it but photos and an empty heart.


	12. Chapter 12

queueingtocomplain said:

Adopted son verse Belle wants to look extra nice for dinner with Gold, and she isn't quite sure why.

Tri-sarah-topsaurus said:

They get raw oysters at a restaurant by the beach and she reacts… strangely. She takes a hot bath in the large hotel tub, falls asleep, and wakes up… well, wet.

endangeredslug said:

Prompt: belle dreams that instead of Bae, gold is there for her. Sexy stuff happens.

Anonymous said:

Adoption!verse: Belle dreams of Gold.

* * *

"But why can't I go with you?" Bae whined from his perch at the edge of his mother's bed for the third time that night.

"For one thing, you don't eat sea food," Belle reminded him as she put the finishing touches on her mascara." "For another thing, we're having a very late dinner and you'll be asleep before we get back."

Bae scowled, but didn't respond. She and Arthur had decided to take advantage of the complimentary childcare the hotel offered in order to go out for seafood while at the beach. Bae didn't like seafood, but would never admit to that until he was staring down a plate of fried fish and had eaten all his fries. He would have a much better time with his Game Boy and the babysitter than he would with them, which was really the only reason she thought Arthur had agreed to a night for the two of them to become friends outside of parenthood. She wanted to get to know her son's father as a human being rather than just being Bae's parents all the time, which was something they'd never done. It couldn't hurt their relationship to spend more time together.

"If you're just going out to dinner, why are you all dressed up?" Bae grumped. "You never wear that much makeup."

"Because that is how grownups dress for nice restaurants," she replied. "Anyway, since when do you care if I wear makeup?"

"You wore makeup for your date," he pointed out."

"Because that was at a nice restaurant," she replied. "I'm just trying to get to know your dad as friends, alright?"

Bae didn't look like he believed her, but he didn't have time to make any reply as at that moment there was a tentative knock on the door to Belle's room.

"Come in," she called out and Arthur poked his head in.

"The babysitter is here," he said, before his eyes settled on hers and his jaw dropped.

"Oh God," she said. "You think it's too much, too."

Belle looked down at the black dress she was wearing. It wasn't overly fancy, just a simple black A-line. The bodice, now that she thought about it, might be a bit tight but other than that it was a perfectly nice dress.

"No, no," he reassured her. "You look lovely, just...different."

"Good different?"

"Very good," he said indulgently.

Bae was looking at her even more skeptically than he had been earlier, and she popped him lightly on the head with her handbag. He let out an over-dramatic groan, flopping onto the bed and making noises like he was dying.

"Alright, mister," she said with a laugh as she stepped into her heels. "That's enough from you. Now, be good to the sitter and we'll be back after you go to sleep."

She shot a glance at Arthur, to remind him that he was supposed to be the one to give Bae his instructions about the evening. He was still staring at her dumbstruck and she was stuck someplace between flattered and worry that she was overdressed for the evening.

"Bedtime is ten pm sharp," she continued, giving up on Arthur's ability to take her hint for the moment. "And I don't want to hear that you were up all night playing games, okay?"

"Yes, Mom," Bae huffed.

Belle shooed Bae out towards the shared living area, and Arthur stepped back to give them space. The provided sitter was an energetic looking girl of college age, wearing a hotel shirt with a pair of jeans.

"Hi," she said brightly. "I'm Holly. Who is this?"

"This is Bailey," Belle introduced, nudging Bae until he stepped forward and offered Holly a handshake which she accepted.

Belle gave her a quick rundown of Bae's rules and then, just like that, they were out the door for a grown-up activity.

The restaurant was excellent, one of those beach side restaurants that was a tourist destination during the day and fine dining after dark. Between her son's distaste for dead sea creatures and her own aversion to leaving him home with strangers, it had been years since Belle had gotten to go out for any sort of sea food, and she told Arthur as much as they were seated at a table.

"Really?" he said, sounding incredulous.

"Well," she replied. "I'm not going to go out alone and Bae can't stand it, so I probably haven't had fish since he was six and I took Ruby out for her birthday. We've tried once or twice since then, but Bae can't even stand fish sticks so eventually I gave up."

"Luckily, I think we can rectify that," he said smiling at her. "What do you like?"

"Oh everything," she assured him. "It's one of my biggest regrets about motherhood."

He looked startled for a second before realizing her joke and smiling.

"I assure you, dearie, this will be worth the wait."

He hadn't been lying, ordering oysters and cocktails to start.

"So," he began, more to his cocktail than to her, "are you enjoying being here?"

"The restaurant or vacation?"

"Either. Both."

He sounded so nervous for her approval that her heart skipped a beat.

"Of course I am," she told him. "Really, if anything you're being too good to us. You don't have to do these kinds of things to make us like you."

"I like doing it," he said, shrugging. "You sacrificed a lot of things to raise Bae and you shouldn't have had to. I never had to make those sacrifices, and I can afford to spoil both of you, so I want to."

"Well," she said with a smile. "I'm not going to stop you."

She popped another oyster into her mouth, closing her eyes and savoring the freshness and the sheer indulgence that she rarely got to enjoy with a happy moan. When she looked back at him he was staring at her strangely and she averted her eyes. This suddenly felt like a date. He seemed to have picked up on her discomfort, rapidly scanning the restaurant for anything to focus on besides her. His face lit up at the sight of their food being brought out, and Belle opted not to draw anymore attention to the awkward moment.

She couldn't help smiling in delight at her dungeoness crab and he just looked at her in something akin to disbelief over his own plate which contained a delicious looking swordfish steak.

"You really don't get to go out much, do you?"

"You hadn't noticed?" she asked between bites.

"Why is that, anyway?" he was suddenly serious.

She shrugged before answering him.

"Bae's a lot of work and I don't like leaving him with strangers."

"You have a lot of friends who would take him," he pointed out. "Your friend Ruby, for instance. And clearly you do something with him during the summer so you can work. So why don't you go out much?"

She put her fork down and stared at him in shock for a second. It had never occurred to her he might question her social life too hard.

"I don't like to date," she said finally. "And before you ask, I never had a bad boyfriend or a guy who wouldn't take no for an answer. In college I was actually engaged for a little bit. I just...I don't know, I'd rather get to know someone as a person first and dating just feels like being a piece of meat at the grocery store."

"You were engaged?" he said, sounding shocked.

"And you were married," she replied evenly. "We both had lives before we met."

"No, of course," he was fumbling to apologize. "I'm sorry, I just...I had no idea. What happened?"

"If you're hoping for an interesting story you're going to be disappointed," she warned him. "I tutored George in Freshman English, and he said he wanted to take me out as thanks. One thing lead to another and we ended up dating for a year or so. He proposed before summer break of Sophomore year, and by Junior year I knew I wanted something else out of life. Then my dad died and I inherited the flower shop and I just realized that life was too short for a guy I wasn't completely sold on, you know? Bae I could be completely sold on."

She recited the story as dispassionately as she possibly could, there had been a little more to her relationship with George McNabb than she'd let on.

"I know exactly what you mean," he said softly. "Like you said, we both had lives."

"Well, what was yours?"

He grimaced, but met her gaze.

"Fair is fair, I suppose," he replied. "You already know about Milah, of course. The only other one really worth mentioning would be Cora."

He took a long drink of his cocktail and she reached out and held his hand comfortingly. He stared at her hand resting on his for a moment as though he couldn't quite understand it.

"It was a few years after my divorce," he finally continued. "It wasn't a particularly good time in my life. Cora was a beautiful woman, and we had a brief affair. Turns out, she was also a social climber and I was a means to an end. My mistake, if you want to call it that, was introducing her to people with more money and influence than I had."

"And what happened to her?" Belle prompted softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"She's married now," he provided. "And from what I understand they are absolutely miserable but staying together for their child."

"Oh," she said, trying to think of something else to say. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said. "It was for the best, really. She wasn't a very nice person and we brought out the worst in each other. I was better off once she was gone."

"Well, then I'm glad she's not here now. I'd like Bae to have a better sort of step-mother."

"She really would have been terrible," he agreed. "But I have no particular desire to expand his family anytime soon. There's no need to worry yourself on that account."

There was nothing Belle could say to that, so she just smiled at him as comfortingly as she could. He smiled back shyly and it was a few more moments before they both realized that she was still holding his hand on the table. Belle yanked her hand back so fast she was surprised she didn't spill her water, and they returned to a carefully casual conversation over their meal.

It was close to eleven when they finally returned to the shared room. Bae was long asleep, and Arthur tipped Holly for her time and sent her on her way.

"I had a great time," Belle said to him, feeling awkward again. "Thanks for doing all of this."

"You don't have to thank me," he replied softly. "You're my family now, and you're great company."

"Be that as it may, I do appreciate everything you've done for us."

She placed a hand on his shoulder and stood on tip-toes for a second to place a kiss on his cheek, her hand resting over his heart to balance her. He stiffened the moment she touched him, and she was fairly sure he didn't breathe until she had pulled away. Arthur didn't say anything, just looking at her with shock writ large across his face.

"I'm going to take a bath before bed," she said. "Goodnight, Arthur."

"Goodnight, Belle."

Was it her imagination, or did she hear a wistful longing in his voice?

She couldn't quite shake the feeling that they had crossed a line on this trip, but she wasn't sure exactly where it had been or even if she was upset about it. They had definitely gotten closer, and Bae had been thrilled having both around constantly. Oh, why did this all have to be so damn confusing?

Belle pinned her hair up, wondering how much of her troubles were related to the drinks she'd had over dinner and how much would still be there in the morning. She settled into the bath and gasped as the hot water met her skin. It settled her, though, relaxing muscles and turning white skin pink. The tub was deeper than the one she had at home, too, and Belle was able to submerge herself to her neck in the hot water. It was going to be awful going back home to her real life and her bathroom that was full of Spider-man brand body wash after this. She took a deep breath and stretched out, closing her eyes and letting the warm water ease her confusion.

She was back in her home, now, but it was cleaner than usual. Belle wondered briefly where Bae was when suddenly Arthur was there, too. He was wearing the same suit he'd worn the first time he came to dinner (the same suit he'd been wearing the time she had kissed him, she remembered), but his cane was gone.

"What are you doing here?" she said. There was no reason for him to be there if Bae wasn't as well.

"I came for you," he said and his voice had the same strange quality to it that it had earlier after she'd kissed his cheek.

Before she could ask what he meant by that, he had her pinned against the wall, his hands stronger than she had thought they would be as they moved up and down her body. She felt completely limp but it didn't matter, because he was holding her up and his lips were on hers and that was the important thing. He cupped her breasts and she gave a groan of wanting. It had been too long since she'd been touched by a man – longer than she cared to think about, really. His leg was between hers and she was surprised at how much she wanted him. She hadn't ever spared a thought to Arthur as a bed partner, and yet the idea of him here thrilled her.

Somehow, her legs were around his hips and he was grinding against her. He was panting in her ear and she wanted him so bad it hurt.

"Arthur," she groaned his name, because she didn't have words for what she needed from him.

He understood, though. Of course he would understand her, it was silly of her to have thought he wouldn't. He'd always been so good to her. She didn't know how he did it, but suddenly he was lining himself up with her and preparing to take her against the wall. There was a banging at the door, but it could wait. This was something Belle needed more than anything else.

"Mom?" Bae was calling to her through the door, and Belle was still in the tub and the water had gone tepid.

"Yeah, Bae," Belle was disoriented and couldn't quite figure out what time it was or where _that_ had come from. "What do you need?"

"I have to pee," he whined.

"Use the other bathroom," she yelled back, covering her face and trying to calm herself down. She knew any wandering hands right now would find her wet in more ways than one, and she couldn't quite catch her breath. There was no way she was in any state to face a ten-year-old right now.

Bae whined and grumbled, but she heard him retreat from the door.

Oh God, this was insane. She wasn't a stranger to sex dreams, though they weren't exactly a regular occurrence. What was unnerving about this one, though, was that Arthur starred in it. That was entirely new. Once Belle's heart rate returned to normal and she thought she could face him if she accidentally came across him in the shared living area, she wrapped a towel around herself and darted into her bedroom.

There was still about a week and a half of this vacation left, surely it was just the close quarters that was giving her fits. Yes, that had to be it. Belle was an expert and compartmentalizing her home life from her sexual desires. It was disturbing, but not unreasonable, that the two might bleed together like this. She just had to remember who he was to her and everything would be fine. Besides, in a week and a half they would be back to their separate lives and Bae would be the only thing they had in common.


	13. Chapter 13

Anonymous said:

on the vacation, a strange man starts hitting on Belle (much to her dismay) so Gold comes in and saves the day by pretending to be her boyfriend/fiancé/husband and later apologizes like crazy.

Anonymous said:

not sure if you are still taking prompts for your rumbelle adoption verse, but I figured I'll just throw it out there: bae telling gold he'd like it if belle was seeing someone

**PLEASE NOTE:** I am submitting back chapters of this story right now, and have quite a few prompts saved for future installments. Feel free to comment with prompts you want to see filled, but don't be surprised if they don't happen for awhile/if they've already happened and we just haven't gotten that far yet.

* * *

Gold was usually the first one awake in the mornings. He was a bit of an early riser by habit anyway, but since they'd been in the hotel he'd been sleeping even less than usual (he generally attributed this to his excitement over spending time with Belle and Bae). It was actually a fairly pleasant routine. He would order room service and spend the morning reading the paper. Belle and Bae would drift in at some point, although it varied as to who would wake up first, and they would make plans for the day. Judging from the late night they'd had, and the fact that she had stayed up extra late, he anticipated spending this morning with his son.

On entering the shared living area, though, he was surprised to find Belle already sitting at the table wearing a bathrobe and sipping on a mug of coffee. She didn't notice him right away, too focused on the book she'd been reading all week. He wasn't sure how to alert her to his presence without startling her, but he also didn't want her to think he'd been watching her. And, he realized, the longer he stood in the doorway thinking about it the creepier he was being. He finally decided to pull the door closed behind him as though he'd just walked through it.

"Good morning, Belle," he said as casually as possible.

Belle jumped a little, glancing up from her book at him with a strange look on her face.

"Good morning, Arthur," she replied, her gaze darting back to her novel.

"Did you sleep well? Sweet dreams?"

She made an odd choking noise and was he just imagining the scarlet blush that swept across her neck and the visible portion of her chest?

"I couldn't quite sleep, no," she replied. "Too much on my mind."

"Anything I should know about?"

No, he definitely wasn't imagining it – she was blushing.

"Nothing important," she replied. "Just excited to go to the city for the Fourth."

"Sick of the beach already?" he said teasingly.

"Oh God, no!" she replied. "I'm sorry, I'm just...it was a long night."

She said the last with an apologetic smile.

"Belle, I was teasing" he said. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She didn't answer right away and he didn't have the heart to force her to respond.

"How about we start over?" he offered.

"Please," she replied, sounding relieved.

He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Good morning, Belle, you look lovely this morning," he said in a slightly theatrical voice. "How's your book?"

"It is getting very sad," she replied. "But it's so well written I'm not sure if I can care."

"What book is it?" he asked. She held it up to show him the cover. "_The Age of Innocence_? You're reading Wharton on vacation?"

"It could be worse," she pointed out. "I could be reading Kate Chopin."

"Touche. Although you don't seem the sort to swim out into the ocean and not return. I don't think I've seen you go in past your shins yet."

"Maybe I have been spending a bit too much time in the sand," she conceded. "You just have no idea how much of a luxury it is for me to be able to read multiple chapters of the same book at a time. Usually I'm skimming on my phone while in line to pick him up from practice."

He wasn't quite sure what to say to that, he never was when she mentioned a sacrifice she'd made for motherhood. She didn't seem to resent Bae which would have been cause for concern, but he could tell that a part of her missed these little luxuries. He'd never had to sacrifice anything for another person in his entire life. He'd certainly never had to dedicate himself entirely to parenting like that. He wanted to ask her about it, to try to understand her reasons for giving up her twenties to raising a child, why she'd forgo her hobbies and interests like that. But she seemed strained today, and it wasn't the time for a heart to heart. The poor woman needed a nap, if anything, and he was on the verge of suggesting it when Bae's door opened and the boy emerged.

"Has the lady been up with breakfast yet?" he asked, coming over to sit at the table with his parents.

"No, I'm sorry sweetheart," Belle said. "I forgot to order it and then I think I distracted your dad."

"So no waffles?" Bae said, sounding disappointed.

Belle looked like she was on the verge of apologizing, but Gold decided to save her.

"I have an idea," he interjected. "Instead of having breakfast in the room why don't we put on our bathing suits and go get something at the diner on the pier? Then we can go swimming right afterward."

"Okay!" Bae sounded excited at the novelty of breakfast out. "I'll go put my suit on."

Breakfast ended up being a nice outing, Bae being in a particularly cheerful mood this morning which seemed to bring his mother out of some of her funk. Gold still had no idea what that had all been about, but he was relieved to see it passing seemingly as quickly as it had come. Belle wasn't generally prone to moodiness; if anything he would call her over laid back. When it came to their son, that was probably a good thing since he was very aware that he tended towards panic where Bae was concerned. In general, they struck a good balance.

She was still avoiding eye contact, though, which he found odd. He didn't think anything strange had happened at their dinner last night. Belle had always been prone to touching him since the day they first met – she was a physical person and he'd learned not to read too much into that – so it seemed odd that she might be acting strange over holding his hand and kissing his cheek. On the plus side, her strange behavior had left her absolutely fixated on their son. Usually, when he was around she would quietly defer to his need to pay attention to Bae and keep to herself. He hadn't ever gotten to see her when she was entirely absorbed in parenting before. It suited her, he thought. Her entire bearing changed when she was talking to her son even if it was just about the merits of syrup versus honey as a pancake topping. She seemed honestly delighted by everything he said or did, and Gold found he was content to watch them talk and tease.

After breakfast, the small family walked straight down to the beach. Belle once again laying out with Edith Wharton to keep her company while Bae dashed down to the surf. Gold followed his son at a slower pace, but soon they were ensconced hip-deep in the water playing a makeshift game involving splashing each other while simultaneously avoiding being splashed.

"Was last night a date?" Bae suddenly asked his father after a few minutes of playing.

"Why would you think that?"

"You guys were all dressed up and you went out alone," Bae pointed out. "And mom has only ever gone out like that the one time with Coach Tillman."

"No," Gold said. "It wasn't a date, son. Your mom and I are just friends. We're trying to get to know each other better so we can be better parents to you."

"What do you mean?"

"We both love you very much, Bae, but we don't know each other very well so it's kind of hard sometimes to know how to handle certain things like you staying over with me or me paying for you guys to do things. So we're trying to become better friends so we can handle those things easier. It's...kind of like dating, I guess, except there's no romance. We're not going to be together like that."

"Why not?" Bae asked innocently, and Gold wasn't sure he had a good answer.

"Because," he stalled, "our relationship with you has to be the most important thing and changing that could risk our ability to be a family for you."

Ha! That was a perfectly legitimate answer which completely side-stepped the fact that he was fairly sure he was completely smitten with her.

"But you're both lonely," Bae continued, "all the time. And you both love me and you get along together."

"There's more to relationships than that," Gold explained. "It takes a lot of work for two people to be together and it's always a risk. Neither one of us is willing to take a chance on your happiness."

Bae looked away for a moment and another thought occurred to Gold.

"Why? Do you want us to date?"

"Well," Bae bit his lip in a manner that so much resembled Belle that his father could hardly stand it. "Sort of. I just want Mom to be happy. I think she spends too much time alone and you're the only guy she really seems to like being with."

"Your mom makes her own choices," Gold reminded Bae. "If she wanted to spend time with other men, she would."

Bae didn't respond, looking pensively towards the beach where his mother still sat. Gold splashed a bit of water in the boy's face, and was rewarded with a grin as the child launched himself at his father. Gold let himself be tackled, dragging Bae underwater before resurfacing. Still, though, his thoughts remained on Belle.

"Do you think we should invite Mom to play?" Bae asked after another round of splashing and dunking left both of them soggy and sputtering.

"We can," Gold acceded. "In fact, how about I go get her?"

Bae nodded enthusiastically, letting Gold walk off towards her. She usually would see him as he approached, but this time she gave no sign. He was confused until he got a little closer and realized why. There was a younger man standing not three feet away from Belle and attempting to chat her up. Belle was intensely focused on her book in an effort to avoid being sucked into conversation, but to no avail.

"So what room are you staying in?" the man asked her. Belle ignored him as much as she could, but he asked again and again until she was forced to answer.

"Why on Earth would I want to tell you that?"

"Oh come on," he replied. "I'll show you a great time."

"I highly doubt that."

Gold's first instinct was to confront the other man directly and insist he leave her alone, but the slightly more rational part of his brain reminded him there was really no need for that. A small rearranging of the actual facts would have this guy running off like a rat fleeing a sinking ship.

It was really more fun than it should have been to drop down onto the towel next to Belle with no preamble and press a quick kiss to the top of her head. She startled, and looked at him with confusion but didn't say anything, even when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, darling," he said with a wink, "our son has requested your presence in the water."

"Has he now?" Belle replied, closing her book over a bookmark and tucking it into one of her beach bags. "Well who am I to reject an invitation from my two favorite guys?"

"I'll just...leave you to it, then," the other man yelped, scurrying away to find some greener pasture to harass.

"Sorry," Gold said once he was out of earshot. "You didn't seem to be enjoying him and I thought this was the best way to make him leave."

"Oh no," Belle replied. "Trust me, any time you want to interrupt a meat head college student hitting on me I don't care how old and married you want to make us sound I'll still be grateful."

"I may hold you to that," he teased. It really didn't bear thinking about how much fun it had been to give in to the illusion of being together. "Either way, Bae wanted to invite you to play with us."

She held his gaze for a moment before rising to her feet and offering a hand to help him up.

"I think I may just take you up on that offer," she said sweetly. "It's been too long since I kicked that kid's butt."


	14. Chapter 14

ctdg said:

Adoption!verse: is there a chance we have another tiny little kiss between them at the end of the vacation? Maybe on the pier, the last evening, in front of a beautiful romantic twilight... ?

* * *

It was July third, and it was their last day at the beach. Belle was surprised at how much she was going to miss it. Tomorrow, they'd make the drive to NYC for the fourth, spend the night at a hotel, and then go to a cottage in upstate New York for another week. The cabin was supposed to be a practice run at keeping a household in a more traditional sense for when they returned home so Arthur would be better prepared for actual parenting. Theoretically, he'd been practicing this all week, though with varying amounts of success. Bae would usually comply with directions, but still defaulted to asking Belle for permission to do things even though she had maintained a steady policy of instructing him to ask his father. Hopefully, they had at least laid a groundwork for Arthur to be an authority figure in his own home if nothing else.

"Can't we just stay here another week?" Bae asked (yet again) as he and his father built a sandcastle while Belle provided suggestions and chatted with them. "What are we going to do in the woods for a whole week, anyway?"

Arthur looked on the verge of acquiescing, which she was fairly sure would always be a weakness of his where Bae was concerned. She raised her eyebrows at him when Bae wasn't looking and he deflated a little before answering.

"You'll have fun," he reassured their son. "There's a lake, for one thing, and we can go fishing there – we'll just have to set them back in the water after."

"But there's an entire ocean here!"

"And there's a boat at the lake," Arthur reminded Bae.

"Bae, stop pestering your father," Belle finally scolded. It seemed to be physically painful to Arthur to not be spoiling the child and Bae knew it and was taking advantage. "We're going to the woods and you're going to have fun. Anyway, you're most certainly not the one paying for this trip so you should be grateful your father wanted to do something nice for you."

Arthur seemed a little startled by her outburst, she rarely had to actually yell at Bae in front of him and had never scolded him for his treatment of his father before. On the one hand, it did indicate that Bae had become used to Arthur but on the other she hated to see his overwhelming need to please his son taken advantage of.

"I think you should apologize for acting like a brat," she continued when Bae just looked down at his hands and fidgeted in the sand.

"I'm sorry, Dad," the boy mumbled.

Arthur looked completely stricken, knowing he needed to be on Belle's side but completely unsure of how to handle being the source of his son's discomfort. Belle just held his gaze levelly, this would not work unless they were a team and part of that was backing each other up.

"It's alright, son," he finally said. "You'll have a great time at the cabin and we can always come back next year."

Bae nodded a little and forced a smile. He hated being scolded, especially in front of people, but if he was comfortable enough with Arthur to beg like that then he should damn well be prepared to be yelled at in front of him as well.

The silence became awkward as Bae sulked and dug in the sand quietly. Arthur was about to crack, she could see it. He was going to give in to whatever Bae wanted to make him cheer back up. No, that wasn't going to work. She had raised this boy for ten years and he was not about to turn into a spoiled brat because he suddenly had a father who could afford to buy him nice things.

She moved closer to the sand castle father and son had been working on, picking up a shovel and quietly digging out a moat.

"You know what?" she said to nobody in particular, "I think this castle needs seashells."

"Yeah?" Arthur replied, clearly happy for the distraction from his discomfort.

"I do," she replied. "If we got enough little ones and broken pieces we could make the outer wall resistant to attack and the big ones would be good decorations for the buttresses and sides of the castle."

Arthur hummed as if considering her statement, and Bae had become distracted from his poor mood and was watching his parents as they discussed designs for the castle.

"If we found some really good ones," Arthur finally said. "We could pave the paths, too."

"That's a really good point," Belle replied, packing sand from the moat down into her bucket. "Bae, do you want to go see if you can find seashells while your dad and I work on this or would you rather I did it?"

"No, that's okay," he said, scrambling to his feet. "I'm kind of hot anyway."

Belle smiled at him in thanks as Bae took a bucket and dashed down to the surf to dunk himself in the water before he began scouring the shallows for shells for his parents.

"Well," she said as soon as Bae was out of earshot, "you held up a lot better than I thought you would under that kind of pressure."

He grimaced but continued to dig the moat.

"He's getting more comfortable with you, if that helps any," she added.

"I know," he sighed. "It's just so hard. I have no idea how to handle that. I was damn close to offering to move us out here – if you hadn't been here I just might have."

"Well then it's a good thing I was here, because I am not moving to New Jersey for you or any man."

He smiled a bit at that, glancing up at her before continuing the moat.

"I'm sure I could make a tempting offer, for one thing think of how much well Bae has been sleeping since we got here."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but couldn't maintain even fake annoyance in the wake of his teasing.

"Regardless," she replied, flipping her bucket over onto the wide base of the castle to make a turret. "I am rather fond of the climate in Maine."

"You mean rainy and cold?"

"Yep, rainy and cold. Like God intended."

"You're Australian," he pointed out.

"And I ended up in Maine," she said smugly. "What does that tell you?"

He just smiled at her and shook his head disbelievingly.

"You're a strange woman, Belle French."

"Says the man who I know for a fact owns Spider-man boxers."

He glanced at her with shock on his face.

"How could you possibly know about that?"

"I've been spying on you in your bushes," she replied perfectly deadpan. "No, actually you just left them on top of the bathroom hamper last time you had us over."

He buried his face in his hands, hiding the broad smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.

"You really almost had me with the bushes," he confessed. "Good lord I'm never letting you in my bathroom again if you're going to snoop."

"Well I'll just have to take to your bushes then, won't I?" she said with a wink.

Bae returned with his bucket of shell fragments for the walls, proudly pouring them onto the sand so he and his father could begin covering Belle's tower with the tiny pieces.

The three worked in relative silence for awhile, but this time it was companionable rather than stifling. Once the castle was assembled, Belle found a nearby family who was willing to loan a parent to take a photo of the three of them posing with their hard work, and then Gold took a series of photos of Bae demolishing said work, as well as his body completely encrusted with sand afterward.

They spent the next hour or so playing a modified version of keep-away from Bae, tossing a ball back and forth in the water until all three were worn out. They then adjourned to their room to wash up before returning to the pier for one final evening and one more awful deep fried meal.

"He really is grateful to be on this trip," Belle whispered to Arthur as Bae wandered around the perimeter eating his food and tossing the occasional fry to the fish that swam below.

They were sitting near the place they had lost him earlier that week, though this time she noticed that Arthur's eyes darted over to Bae nearly constantly and that Bae was careful to keep in view of both parents, not leaving a small area between the end of the pier and the trash bins that he seemed to have decided was his.

"I'm grateful you both came," Arthur said softly. "It's hard not to envy you his company, but I do appreciate that you went to every length you could to make this easier for all of us."

"You're his father, what else was I supposed to do?"

"You could have poisoned him against me completely," he pointed out. "There is no way that child would ever love anyone who hurt you."

"That would have been completely counter-productive for everyone," she reminded him again. They'd had this conversation before and honestly, he didn't need to thank her for allowing him to be affectionate towards his own son. Bae's love was something he should be able to take for granted was his.

"Still, I wanted to thank you," he said as he reached into a pocket and removed a small parcel.

"Did you get me a present?" she fake scolded. It was against their rules to get _presents_ for each other, after all.

"It's a souvenir," he corrected. "It hardly counts. And anyway, it wasn't expensive it just reminded me of you."

He handed her the paper and she unwrapped it carefully to reveal a blue and green bracelet. It was a series of small squares inlaid with blue and green sea glass, tiny shells, and beads that caught the twilight beautifully. She turned it over in her hands a few times, admiring the craftsmanship that must have gone into it. It was clearly handmade, not something he picked up at one of the tourist traps along the beach.

"Where did you find this?" she asked him softly.

"It wasn't hard," he replied. "There's a lady who makes them locally and sells them through one of the boutiques."

He'd been in her company damn near every minute of every day unless one of them was asleep. He must have made a special trip to find her this bracelet first thing in the morning before she woke up one day. This wasn't something he found on a whim – he had no reason in the world to be going into one of the high-end boutiques that dotted the shore and catered to the wealthy locals except to buy something for her. Belle wasn't sure what to make of his attention, still staring down at the bracelet in her hand.

"Do you like it?" he sounded nervous and she realized she'd been quiet for a long time.

"I love it," she said, offering him a smile. "It's beautiful, thank you."

"I'm glad," he seemed relieved, taking the bracelet out of her hands and gesturing towards her wrist. "May I?"

She nodded and held out her arm, letting him fasten the clasp and adjust the chain so that it sat perfectly against her skin. It sparkled, the glass picking up the last rays of light.

"The blue reminded me of your eyes," he confessed, still holding onto her wrist and looking at the bracelet.

Her body was on high alert. She wanted to say something to diffuse the tension that she felt coming off of him like electricity before a storm, but another part of her needed to know where he was going with this. She'd been half on edge since her dream the other night, and maybe it was her overactive imagination or the fact that she hadn't been this close to a man in ten years, but Belle was aching for him to keep touching her. His fingers were tracing the outline of her bracelet and she wasn't sure he realized he was doing it, but the gesture still raised goosebumps up and down her body all the same.

"Why did you do all this?" she finally asked, not just meaning the bracelet but the entire trip right down to his touching her now and the way he sometimes almost preened under her attention. Something was changing between them and it was terrifying and new and oh so wanted.

"I just thought the mother of my child deserved something special," he said with a sweet little half grin that had her stomach in knots. "Something to remember the trip by, at least."

He bowed his head to her hand and suddenly his lips were on the pulse point of her wrist, in the open space between the square charms provided by the clasp. Her every nerve tingled as he did it, and suddenly she felt like her entire body was on fire. She'd not dated anyone seriously since Bae had come into her life, but Belle had never wanted a man to touch her quite as badly as she wanted Arthur Gold to never release her wrist ever again. His head was bowed in supplication over her hand for just a few seconds, but the brand of his lips on her skin remained after he lifted his head up shyly, as though afraid to make eye contact. She had kissed and been kissed (she'd even kissed him), but this feeling was new. She had never felt so cared for as when bent over her hand.

The tension between them was palpable, and she knew that whatever this was it was so delicate that the smallest thing would break it – yet, Belle was powerless to even try. She opened her mouth, meaning to speak, but couldn't think of words and so she let her mouth close again. Her lips were slightly parted and she knew it was an invitation to kiss her, but damn she needed it. She needed him. She _needed_.

"Hey Mom!" Bae called out from his place near the railing. "Guess what!"

Arthur dropped her hand like she was contagious and Belle leapt to her feet and dashed over to her son before either one could acknowledge what had almost happened.

"What's up, Bae?"

"The rays will eat fries, too!"

"Okay, but I think they're supposed to eat fish so how about you don't give them too many potatoes, yeah?"

Bae nodded, turning back to the bench and nearly skipping over to tell his father what he'd just done. Belle took a moment to watch them, Arthur returning effortlessly to the role of doting father. If he spared more than a few glances towards his child's mother standing alone on the pier as the child in question regaled him with a tale of aquatic life, then that was something the mother was just going to have to figure out on her own.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be.


	15. Chapter 15

Anonymous said:

Adoption!verse: Bae wants to see one of the huge fireworks displays out of to town on the Fourth. Somewhere like Washington DC or Philadelphia.

Accio-firewhiskey said:

Also, here's an idea, have you considered Belle trying to meet up with an old friend in NYC while Bae and Gold do their own thing for an afternoon?

Bae had never been to New York, apparently. It hadn't occurred to Gold that his son had never been into the city, but now that he thought about it he wasn't sure why he would have assumed the boy had been. Belle was solidly middle class, but with just the two of them money was always an issue. Of course she'd not seen a point in taking Bae to the city just for the sake of going.

Gold made a mental note to see about surprising them with a second trip sometime. Maybe this Christmas they could catch something on Broadway – _Beauty &amp; The Beast_ or _The Lion King_ seemed like safe choices with a kid. He'd have to ask Belle about it later. Thankfully, this time Bae seemed perfectly content to marvel at the tall buildings and the crush of people.

Belle had made plans to meet up with an old friend for lunch, leaving Gold with a blissful two hours of unsupervised parental time. He had big plans to buy his son pizza and maybe ice cream.

"Alright," Belle said. "Bae, be good for your dad. I'll meet back up with you guys after lunch."

And with that and a quick wave, Belle disappeared into a posh cafe leaving father and son alone on the street.

"So," Gold said, keeping his hand safely on the back of Bae's collar to prevent him wandering off. "Pizza?"

Bae nodded enthusiastically, trying to dart ahead of his father only to come up short when his shirt stretched out.

"You're going to have to stay with me," Gold reminded his son.

Bae nodded, but Gold kept a hand on him all the same as they found a pizza place and took a seat.

"Was there anything special you wanted to see today?" Gold asked.

Bae thought for a moment, searching for an answer.

"I don't know," he finally said. "I don't know what's here."

"Everything," Gold said with a chuckle. "Everything is in the city."

"What do you think we should do?"

"Hmmm..." Gold thought for a minute.

They'd be seeing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island later on with Belle (followed by the fireworks), and didn't have time before they met back up with Belle to do that anyway. There were museums, but again he felt like that would be something Belle wouldn't want to skip. There had to be something he could do with a ten-year-old in Manhattan for a couple hours. And then, inspiration struck.

"What would you say if I told you that the best toy store in the world was a few blocks away?"

Bae's face lit up with excitement at the prospect, and Gold suddenly had a really good feeling about the rest of the afternoon.

It was nice having lunch like this, just two adults and no child. Ariel was one of Belle's best friends from college. She'd moved to NYC not long after graduation, and was one of the few people in Belle's life who had never known her as a mom. The two had kept in touch on Facebook, but it had been ages since either one had been able to visit. When Belle had let Ariel know she'd be in town with her son and his father, the bubbly redhead had jumped at the chance to spend an hour or so catching up with her old friend.

"So how are things going with you and the baby daddy, anyway?" Ariel asked between bites of her salad. "Still awkward as hell?"

"No, actually we've sort of reached a nice agreement," Belle replied. "He comes over for dinner most nights and Bae spends all day Saturday over there, then I pick him up after brunch on Sunday. If either one of us has something special on an off day, he's always been willing to switch things around. Bae loves him, and he's so good with Bae, too. He's actually paying for this whole trip for both of us." She was gushing and she knew it, but she couldn't quite stop herself. "It's kind of nice having him around. He's as interested in Bae things as I am – we talk every single night about him. We just get along really, really well, you know? We just kind of clicked."

"Okay..." Ariel was giving Belle a strange look as she wound down her monologue about the virtues of Bae's father. "And how long have you been sleeping with him?"

"_What?!_" Belle exclaimed, coming damn close to choking on her sandwich. "I'm not sleeping with him!"

"Well, you're going to be soon, apparently," Ariel was staring at her in disbelief and Belle could feel her cheeks turning pink. "I've known you since college. I'm the one who introduced you to George! You have _never_ spoken about a man the way you were just talking about Arthur. Face it, you're completely into him."

"I...no I'm...you're...no!" Belle couldn't come up with anything much more eloquent than that, unfortunately. "You're reading too much into this. We're just friends."

"Friends who want to sleep together, maybe."

"It's just complicated, okay?"

"Complicated how?"

"We share a son, and we have to get along for at least another 8 years. The rest of our lives would be preferable."

"Okay, I get that whole co-parenting thing you've got going on, but answer me this: are you attracted to him?"

Belle didn't respond right away, her dream from the other night was still fresh enough in her head to give her pause.

"Oh my God, you are!" Ariel shrieked. "What happened?"

"I had a dream about him the other night – a sex dream," Belle buried her face in her hands at the admission as her friend stared at her.

"That's not that bad, Belle," Ariel tried to comfort her. "You can't control your dreams, after all."

"I know," Belle groaned miserably. "I just don't know what to do with this."

"You're probably just having a dry spell," Ariel replied. "When was the last time you had sex, anyway?"

"Uh, ten years or so ago."

Ariel blinked rapidly at the admission.

"_Ten years?!_" she screeched. "You haven't had sex in _ten years_?"

"Yes, and if you'd keep your voice down I'd prefer the entire restaurant didn't know."

"I'm sorry, but still! Have you dated at all since you ended things with George?"

"I've been on dates," she had been on exactly six first dates and one second date. "I just didn't click with any of them."

"Jeeze, Belle, no wonder you're having impure thoughts. Your libido must be freaking out."

Actually, it wasn't. That was something Belle had a hard time explaining to people. She didn't seem to need sex the same way other people did, even in college. She still wanted it, and she found other men attractive and was no stranger to sex dreams (Bae's obsession with Marvel movies did mean that Steve Rogers was a disturbingly frequent imaginary sex partner), but she didn't want to have sex with someone just because it had been awhile. She hated dating, and found the expectation of sex sometime around the third date to be completely mood killing. She liked to know a man before she involved herself with him that way. How well could you really know someone after three dates with the intention of impressing each other?

Still, though, maybe Ariel was right. Maybe she just needed a distraction and things could go back to the way they were before the vacation. What was it Ruby had always said in college? _The best way to get over a man is to get under a new one._ The most disturbing thing about this was the implication that in order to get _over_ Arthur she at one time had to have been _on_ him.

"It's a lot harder meeting guys as an adult," Belle explained. "Even worse when you have a kid. Everyone you meet is either because of your child or terrified of him. It's awkward."

Ariel looked sympathetic, but didn't reply right away.

"I did go on a date with his basketball coach," Belle continued. "It didn't go well, though. No chemistry."

"That doesn't mean you just stop dating anyone. Some guys you won't have anything in common with and you just move on from those."

"You're right," Belle sighed. Sometimes she wished she had a little more experience dating. The older she got, the more she was expected to have and the more awkward it was that she had so little. What was she going to do when Bae started asking questions about girls? Well, she supposed now she could refer him to his father but something about that rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't like thinking about Arthur having experience with other women. She wasn't sure when the idea had bothered her – they had literally met because he had fathered her child with another woman, for goodness sake – but at some point it had.

The rest of the meal went smoother. They discussed Ariel's new job and Belle caught Ariel up on people they'd gone to school with. By the time they were done with lunch, Arthur and Bae were waiting outside for her and holding bags reading FAO Schwarz. She couldn't quite ignore Ariel's knowing grin on seeing the pair of them, but she did her best.

"Wow, so somebody did some shopping," Belle said to Bae. "Did your dad get you games for the cabin?"

"Yeah!" Bae exclaimed excitedly. "We got board games, and bongos, and a telescope..."

Belle's eyes went wide with horror and she turned on Arthur.

"You bought our son _bongos_?!"

"...and a telescope," he said sheepishly. He seemed to be aware of the critical error he'd made, and she should probably go easier on him because she knew that he was damn near incapable of saying no to the kid, but holy crap he bought her son bongos.

"Well," Belle said as calmly as she could manage with the knowledge that her _ten-year-old now possessed a set of bongos_. "Congratulations, Bae, you now have your first toy that exclusively lives at your dad's house."

"I probably deserve that," Arthur admitted as Bae rooted around in his bag to show his mother the much discussed bongos.

"Yes," Belle replied. "You do."

Ariel clearing her throat brought Belle back to the task at hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Belle exclaimed. "Ariel, this is my son Bailey and his father, Arthur Gold. Bae, Arthur, this is my friend Ariel Finn from college."

Hands were shook all around and Belle couldn't help but be a little proud of Bae's manners as he politely greeted Ariel. They made small talk for a few minutes before Ariel made her excuses of having been away from work too long already and left the small family to their own devices.

"We can at least drop these at the hotel before we do anymore sight-seeing," Arthur said. He still sounded apologetic over the poor toy selection and Belle couldn't help but feel a little bad for making him think she was upset with him.

Belle nodded in agreement, her mind still caught on her earlier discussion with Ariel. She liked Arthur, that much was obvious. Maybe she was just confusing her affection for him for a crush because she'd been alone so long. Or maybe she wasn't confused and Ariel was right. He was the only man she ever spent any significant amount of time with outside of work, feelings were bound to come up at some point.

Still, though, he was outside of her reach even if she did want him just by virtue of their existing relationship, never mind the fact that he was older and wealthier and more experienced than she was. Arthur had lived a far more interesting life than hers, and they inhabited different worlds. His was a world of nice hotels and cultural activities, and hers was soccer practice and romance novels in the bathtub. She sometimes thought he might have feelings for her as well, but she'd never been good at picking up on that sort of thing in the past and couldn't trust herself now. She felt like she might be going crazy.

"Something wrong?" Arthur whispered to her as they approached the hotel where their suitcases had been delivered earlier.

She shook her head, half to reassure him she was fine and half to clear her thoughts.

"No, I'm fine," she replied. "I just still can't believe you bought him bongos."

"He asked for them," Arthur explained weakly. "I think he's figured out I'm a pushover."

"If it makes you feel better," Belle said taking his arm and giving it a comforting squeeze. "The Christmas he was five, his Uncle Tiny gave him a toy fire engine that had a real siren and lights and you could put water in it and then it would spray out the hose if you pumped this little handle."

He winced sympathetically.

"That sounds awful," he replied. "What did you do?"

"It mysteriously ran out of batteries within a week. Did you know fire engines take special batteries you can't get at the grocery store?"

Arthur laughed at that, shooting her a wry look.

"You're a devious woman, Miss French."

"I did what I had to do to survive," she said smugly. "Still, though, rookie mistake, Gold."

"If it's really going to live at my house I'm sure I'll live to regret it."

"Oh I am sure you will," she replied with a wink. "Be sure to let me know how well he's progressing with them."

He laughed at himself, and for a moment Belle forgot her confusion. This was what she loved about having him around, after all. These little shared moments of intimacy and mirth. He was the best friend she'd had in years, and she hated that everything else was getting in the way of that.


	16. Chapter 16

Anonymous said:

Hey! Don't know for how long our lovely adoption!verse family will be on vacation but I figured this prompt will fit either way. I would like to see Bailey asking his father sth like: "mom is pretty, isn't she?" while Belle is in the earshot.

Woodelf68 said:

Don't know if this could work, but adoption 'verse prompt: There's a mix-up at the next hotel &amp; only one room is available. With one bed, &amp; they can provide a roll-away cot. Belle refuses to let Gold take the cot, because of his bad leg; Bae says he'll take it 'cos he's the smallest and will be the most comfortable on it, while they share the bed.

"What do you mean you lost our reservation?" Gold said harshly. He could see the poor girl at the desk was beginning to become nervous, but he just couldn't accept this. "I made them weeks ago."

"I'm very sorry, sir," she said apologetically, clicking frantically through her computer. "We've been insanely busy with the holiday."

"The holiday happens every year," he reminded her. This was not good at all.

Belle was kind enough to take Bae off to examine the lobby once he had begun to lose his temper. Bless her, he didn't want to scare his child but this was insane. It took a little arguing and the summoning of the manager, but finally a room was located that would work – two queen beds and a cot – it would be awkward, but for one night it could work.

"Well, I have good news and I have bad news," he told Belle and Bae as he approached them after hashing things out with the manager. "The good news is they've found a room."

"And the bad news?" Belle asked.

"We'll have to share. It's got two queen beds, and they can lend us a cot."

"Oh, that's not so bad," she said with a shrug. "We've slept in tighter quarters."

Bae nodded in agreement. The room wouldn't be ready for another hour or so, but they were able to leave their shopping bags with their suitcases and go back out for further sight-seeing. He was itching to see how Belle liked the museums, and the fact that he was desperate to impress her with this trip was a very unwelcome thought which he was certainly not going to dwell on.

Still, though, it was nice to be able to share this with them. Bae was as well behaved as one could expect from a little boy on a family vacation, which is to say he did not get them kicked out of anything (for which he was handsomely rewarded with souvenirs), but Belle seemed to find everything fascinating. She was pouring over the guides, trying to engage Bae in discussions of the paintings, and generally seemed to be having a brilliant time of it.

Even Bae seemed to pick up on his mother's good mood, and his behavior improved dramatically as the time went on. Instead of fidgeting, he took to standing back by his father watching his mother as she enjoyed the art. He was indulging her, Gold realized. The boy was taking his father's cue and letting his mother spend as much time in her reverie as she wanted.

Gold squeezed Bae's shoulder affectionately as both watched Belle lecture them on the history of another painting, her eyes lighting up joyously as she pointed out brush strokes and techniques. He couldn't help but think back to her telling him that she'd envied people with a passion, and he wondered then if she even realized how much she really enjoyed this sort of thing. Maybe she'd like to take painting classes, if he could convince her to take one night off a week, anyway. Perhaps if he said they were from Bae...

Still, though, maybe it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to come back for Christmas. Maybe get a babysitter for Bae again and let her spend an entire day running through the museums and lecturing him on the difference between Rococo and Baroque styles.

Bae wasn't stupid. He might just be a kid, but he could tell something weird was going on with his dad and his mom. He just didn't know what yet. He was pretty sure his dad liked his mom, at least a little. That made sense, though – Mom was kind of pretty in a mom-like way (Nick and August thought she was pretty, anyway, and Bae'd had to punch them a couple times each for saying things like that), and he knew his dad was kind of lonely. Mom was lonely, too, she just handled it differently. When Dad was lonely (which was all the time) he wanted to come over and do things together, but Mom liked to pretend like she wasn't lonely at all. She just worked too much or would suddenly want to rearrange the living room or take up baking (that one he didn't mind so much). Still, though, Bae could tell she was lonely.

He was pretty glad she was happy right now, though. Something had changed over vacation and he wasn't really sure what it was yet and of course nobody was going to tell _him_ because he was ten. But he could figure it out. He just had to keep his eyes open. For example, Dad was way too interested in watching Mom look at the paintings right now. Bae was watching her, too, she wasn't that interesting. She was just talking about history and artwork and symbolism and stuff. Plus Dad had this weird dopey smile on his face. He was pretty sure he knew what that meant, he'd seen it in movies a lot. That was the face they always made when the girl showed up the first time.

It was kind of weird thinking about his mom as a _girl,_ but he then again she probably was to his dad. They were about the same age, he guessed. He didn't really know how old his dad was but they were both old enough to be his parents, so that was pretty much the same age. They were going to be really difficult about this, he could tell. Well, there was still a week of vacation left. They had time.

His mom was looking at his dad now, and she was smiling and they were talking about the artist, and it was pretty dull. But she was still smiling, and it was weird because she didn't smile at guys like that. She didn't smile like that at all. Maybe, Bae realized, it wasn't just Dad liking Mom anymore.

After they watched his mom look at some more pictures, Dad said it was time for dinner and Mom agreed. It still took another half hour to get out of the museum, though. Mom kept getting distracted and wanting to show both of them new stuff all the time. Still, she was his mom. He had to love her.

"Hey Dad?" he whispered once when she was turned and looking at a statue of a lady with no clothes on.

"Yeah?" his dad said, leaning down so Bae could whisper in his ear.

"Doesn't Mom look pretty?"

He thought his dad's eyes might have popped out of his head but he didn't say anything. He just kept looking back and forth between Bae and his mom with his mouth hanging open, like he couldn't quite figure out what Bae had meant.

Yeah, Dad liked Mom. He might just need a little bit of encouragement to get his nerve up if anything was going to happen.

Belle and Bae saw fireworks every year, but she'd never seen them over the Statue of Liberty and that, she had to admit, was pretty neat. The water reflected the lights beautifully and Arthur had, of course, gotten them a seat on one of the boats that went out towards the statue. She should have guessed, nothing was ever too much for him to splurge for Bae. It was kind of sweet, actually. Still, with the crush of people and the boat needing to dock and Arthur's limp and their exhausted child (and getting lost once or twice), it was really, really late by the time they finally got back to the hotel and saw their room for the first time.

There was only one bed plus the cot.

Well, shit.

"They said there was a second bed," Arthur said dumbly. "There were supposed to be two beds. I can go back down and get them to move us."

Belle knew that was the right call, but her entire body protested. It had been a long day, Bae was near to collapsing, all their bags were here, and she just wanted to go to sleep.

"Don't bother," she finally said. "They barely had _this_ room available. And it's late. I doubt there are any that aren't being used."

"You're right," Arthur agreed. "I'll sleep on the cot, you two can share the bed."

They both looked at the cot, which was shorter than the bed and had a thinner mattress. He'd been limping worse than usual on the way up, and leaning more heavily on the cane. He still had to drive them up to the cabin tomorrow and there was no way he was going to be able to do that if he slept on that thing. He'd been pushing himself too hard already.

"No," she stopped him. "I'm shorter than you, I'll take the cot."

Except that left the matter of where Bae would sleep. As much a family as they were, it still felt a little awkward having her ten-year-old share a bed with a grown man they'd both only met a few months ago. Arthur seemed to agree, glancing back and forth between them as if trying to put that exact thing into words.

"I'll take the cot," Bae mumbled sleepily from his position leaning against her heavily with his face buried in her side. "I'm the smallest, so I'll be the most comfortable. You two share the bed."

"Oh, sweetie," she said. "That's really nice of you, but your dad and I can't share a bed."

"Why not?"

"We're both grown-ups," she explained. "Grown-ups don't really share beds unless they're married."

"You share a bed with Aunt Ruby whenever we go anywhere with her. And Aunt Ruby shared a bed with her last boyfriend."

The kid had a point, but still. How could she explain the various types of relationships adults had and which ones were 'allowed' to share a bed? That wasn't even getting into same-sex relationships and oh God it was way too late to be having this conversation. She was just so damn tired.

"Your mom is right," Arthur interrupted. "It's not really appropriate for me to share a bed with either of you."

And now they were back to him sleeping on the cot, which frankly was not an option at all.

"No," she said softly. "It's fine. We can share the bed. I'll sleep over the covers or something."

"Belle," he tried to argue with her, but Bae put a stop to it by wandering over to the cot and dropping onto it like a stone. He barely even kicked his shoes off before he was snoring. That kid could sleep through a tornado.

"Honestly," she said. "It's not a big deal. It's just a bed, right? And it's certainly big enough that you'd never know I was there."

He smiled a little at that, staring intensely at the bed as though he were a little afraid it might suddenly sprout teeth and bite him.

"I don't think that I'd forget," he muttered. "I'll sleep on the floor. I don't mind."

"I do," she said reassuringly. "You and I both know you've been pushing yourself all week. If you don't sleep in a bed there's no way we're getting up to the cabin tomorrow, which means another day in this hotel room. Anyway, there's no room on the floor with the cot."

He didn't try to argue that point, but she could tell he wished she hadn't noticed he was hurting himself.

"Really, Arthur, we're both adults. I think we can handle one night in the same bed."

He nodded finally, accepting her logic even though he obviously still wanted to argue.

"One night," he agreed.

_Thank God for matronly nightgowns_, Gold thought to himself as Belle tentatively climbed into the bed. She was covered from breastbone to knees with a thick cotton jersey material. It was sleeveless, but honestly she was more covered in that than in most of her sundresses. Plus this was entirely shapeless, leaving the swell of her breasts and the curve of her waist largely to the imagination. That might be his one salvation tonight if he wanted to get any sleep at all. He hadn't shared a bed with another person in a long, long time and he was willing to bet that, aside from sleepovers with her friend Ruby and Bae climbing into her bed after a nightmare, it had been even longer for Belle.

After he took his turn in the bathroom to change and brush his teeth, there was really nothing to do but get into bed with her. It was the longest walk of his life. He felt like he was on his way to the electric chair. How the hell was he going to get any sleep with her being soft and warm and _in bed with him_? It just didn't seem possible at all.

True to her word, Belle had settled on top of the sheets but under the quilt. He didn't know why, but the thin barrier between them made him feel a little better about the whole thing. And why on Earth was he so worried? Was he afraid she was going to molest him in the night? Oh, no that was _not_ the direction to take his thoughts in. Not at all.

They could have fit a third person between them, both as close to the edge of the bed as they dared.

"Do you have enough room?" she asked timidly, glancing over at him across her pillow.

"Yeah," he said. "Do you?"

She nodded.

"That's good," he said. He felt so stupid.

He turned the light off, hoping if she couldn't see him he'd feel a little bit less like an idiot for even agreeing to this plan.

"Arthur?" she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for taking us here," she said and he could hear the smile in her voice. Her hand was moving across the blankets, and it found his and gave it a squeeze.

He closed his eyes tightly and forced his thoughts back to the present. They were just friends, he reminded himself. They had a family and they were just friends. She loved him the way she would have loved a sperm donor who suddenly appeared at her doorstep. That was the thought to focus on. They were nothing else to each other and this meant _nothing._

"You don't have to thank me," he replied. "I like taking you two places. You're the only family I've got."

"Still," she said. "You don't have to do these things. But you still went out of your way to make this a really memorable trip for both of us. Thank you."

He wanted to laugh. She was thanking him for taking her on a boat and to a museum. As if he wouldn't do literally anything she asked him to, take her anyplace her heart desired. It was surreal, the entire situation was beginning to take a toll on his sleep deprived brain.

"You're welcome," he finally said for lack of anything else to say.

She squeezed his hand one last time and then pulled hers back to her side of the bed. He could feel her roll over, but tried not to notice the way the bed sagged a little on that side or the tantalizing hint of warmth that was coming from over there. His son was in the room, after all. And she was Bae's mother.

He wasn't sure how he finally fell asleep that night, but thankfully he eventually did.


	17. Chapter 17

Queueingtocomplain said: So adoption!verse Belle and Gold are going to wake up cuddling, right? Right? And they both try to avoid talking about it, until Bae brings it up in conversation. Anonymousnerdgirl said: Adoption!verse: Gold takes Bae and Belle on vacation, to make the domestic setting more real he chooses a rustic cabin so they can set up a household of sorts. LITERALLY EVERYONE ON AO3 AND TUMBLR said: Hey can Belle wake up to a boner? Because we love boners. We're the Rumbelle fandom and we need more boners. BONERS! #follow for more erect penises!

* * *

Belle was warmer than usual, but it wasn't at all unpleasant. Quite the contrary, she was tempted to try to go back to sleep before she realized there was something heavy over her. That was when the events of the previous evening came back to her in a flash. She was warm because Arthur was behind her, and she was heavy because his arm was slung over hers. And something was poking her in the back.

Oh. Oh _God_.

Belle was celibate, not innocent. She had shared a bed with her ex in college. She knew it was a physiological reaction and had nothing to do with her even being there, but it was currently pressed up against her and she had no idea what to do next. Their current position meant that if she moved, he'd wake up and realize what was going on and the only thing more awkward than knowing this was happening would be having him know that she knew. He'd try to apologize and it really wasn't something she wanted to talk about. At the same time, Bae was still in the room (and boy, wasn't it a good idea to let him have the cot to himself now?) and she didn't want him to see his parents spooning in bed. Kids got ideas, and while she wasn't quite as worried over his well-being in that regard as Arthur, there was no way he wouldn't misinterpret this.

She felt Arthur begin to stir, and made the choice to feign sleep. Let him think it was his secret, and they could both pretend it had never happened. It was a little funny to sense him going through the same stages of awakening she had gone through – the awareness of warmth and comfort, the slow realization of its source, and then the recognition of just exactly how entangled they were. She was a little proud of how well she had handled things, comparatively – Arthur jerked his hand back and rolled onto his back so fast that had she not been faking sleep he'd definitely have woken her (frankly, she was surprised he hadn't fallen completely off the bed). She stirred a little, and rolled away to give him time to gather his thoughts before facing her. She was in no particular hurry to look him in the eye and to see him trying to avoid looking at her.

Unfortunately, Bae had other ideas for the morning.

"Hey Dad," she heard him chirp from across the room. "I thought you guys would never wake up."

The _one_ time the kid woke up first and decided to let her sleep in. Well, the cat was out of the bag now anyway. She wiggled a little and stretched as though just now waking up. She sat up and brushed the hair out of her face as she looked between them. Bae was perched on his bed silently playing with his Game Boy and looking completely unfazed by whatever had just happened in his parents' bed. Arthur, however, was leaning on his arms with a hunted look on his face as he looked back and forth in between Belle and Bae. She felt bad for him – he hadn't been able to help it, after all – but she could hardly contain the laughter that threatened to erupt at the sight of him panic-stricken and confused.

"Did everyone sleep well?" she finally managed to get out without giggling.

Bae nodded, going back to his game and Arthur just gave her a look of total confusion before excusing himself to the bathroom to get dressed (and presumably, to settle down). Well, Belle had found worse ways to start the morning.

Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy _shit_. This was not good. This wasn't good at all. Gold was pretty sure he had never been more mortified in his entire life. God he hoped he'd woken her up by acting like a lunatic because the alternative was he'd woken her up by...other means. Oh _God_ what had he been thinking agreeing to sleep in the same bed as Belle? She was the mother of his child, she was sweet and kind, and his best friend – and absolutely, totally uninterested in him. And now she'd woken up with his erection poking her in the back. He was the worst sort of man.

He turned the shower on to buy himself some time to think, leaning over the sink heavily and taking in deep breaths. He'd had this little crush on Belle for awhile, but this had taken it completely out of hand. His son was asleep less than six feet away from the same bed they'd been in. It was completely wrong. It took him a little too long to calm himself down enough to strip and get in the shower without needing to worry about anything untoward happening for his own comfort. The scalding water settled his thoughts a bit, though, and by the time he'd finished his shower he was able to get dressed and walk into the room without worrying about disgracing himself further.

Belle was, of course, incredibly gracious about the whole thing, offering him a smile as she brushed past him on her way into the bathroom for her own shower. He practically collapsed onto the tiny, uncomfortable sofa out of relief that at least she didn't seem to hate him.

"Hey Dad?" Bae asked, still sitting quietly on the cot with his GameBoy resting on his legs.

"Yeah, son?"

"Why are you and mom acting so weird?"

If he only knew.

The drive upstate took place in relative silence. Gold wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Bae had taken to gaming to distract himself during their travels (and honestly, Gold would be lying if he acted like he wasn't a little proud his gift was getting so much use) which left him and Belle to their own devices. Given that morning's events, neither one was particularly eager for conversation.

She'd surprised him by singing along to the radio. Oh, no doubt about it she had an absolutely terrible singing voice. But it was still nice and comfortable in a way he hadn't anticipated. She even made him sing along once or twice, and if he did it Bae could be coaxed into joining in as well. It was still a long drive, but he was pleasantly surprised at how little he had wanted it to end by the time they approached the winding road that led to the cabin.

It was a really beautiful place, actually. He always forgot how pretty the area was when he came up here – there were pine trees and a lake, and he knew if you went past the cabin a ways from the road there was a stream with cascades that he was pretty sure Bae and Belle would love playing in. Belle was looking out the window with stars in her eyes, and even Bae was looking over the top of his game at the scenery.

He couldn't help preening just a little as he parked the car and led them into the cabin. It belatedly occurred to him that she might have been expecting something a bit more rustic, rather than the two story log cabin with hot tub that he was actually bringing them to. Well, he was allowed to have surprises that didn't involve waking her up with his penis.

"This whole place is _yours_?" Belle sounded incredulous as they walked into the hall. "It's bigger than our house."

Oh. Yeah, it kind of was.

"I don't come here often," he replied. "I usually rent it out for vacations, but when we decided on this trip it seemed the perfect place for it."

"You rent it out?"

"It's one of my investment properties," he said with a shrug, turning to look at her. "Why?"

"It just...never occurred to me you had a job besides the shop."

"You mean the pawn shop that I close at short notice and shut down for two weeks so I could come here?"

"Well, when you put it that way it sounds silly," she sounded almost hurt by this new revelation, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. What difference did it make to her where his money came from?

"Either way," she had a smile on her face again (although he had to pretend not to notice it was a little forced) and was moving about the living area and looking at various knick-knacks. "It is a very lovely house."

"This place is incredible," Bae said happily, darting from room to room. "Mom, this place is almost as big as Dad's house."

"It is," Belle said cheerfully. "Go pick your room before I take the best one."

That was enough to send Bae running up the stairs at a full tilt and sounding like a herd of elephants.

"I may have forgotten he sounds like that on the second floor of a house," Gold admitted as he set his suitcase on the stairs. "Luckily, I had the listing agent stock the kitchen before we got here and I am fairly sure that there's a lot of that wine you like in the cellar."

That got a smile on her face again, along with a soft giggle. He tried to ignore how relieved he felt knowing that at least he could make her this happy, even if it was just because he had provided booze. Still, he couldn't help wondering what else would get her to smile at him again.


	18. Chapter 18

LunarSinner said:

Hmmm, I had a little idea of a prompt; One weekend during a storm, the power goes out. Instead of playing video games, Bae decides to play a board game that all three of them can play together. (Bae possibly teaming up with his dad to beat his mother ^_^)

Tinuviel-undomiel said:

Squeee! Maybe Belle and Gold can dance at some point in this verse.

anonymousnerdgirl said:

Adoption!verse: Belle and Bae play a prank on Gold.

* * *

Gold was thankful that they had at least settled into the cabin before the freak storm hit. The rain wasn't so bad, but the wind was a bit disconcerting this far into the woods. He was a little afraid one of the trees might come down through the roof – had the leasing agent been keeping up with the property and having the dead trees removed? He should have checked before he brought his family up here. What if something happened?

"You know," Belle said from her perch on the window seat. "I always liked the rain."

She'd retreated there not long after the storm started with a glass of wine and a book, both of which were laying forgotten on the floor as she stared absently out the window. Bae had somehow misplaced his bongos (though Gold was pretty sure that if he were inclined to look into it they could probably be located in Belle's suitcase) and had retreated to his video games. It was a lazy day, at least. Which honestly, was nice. Gold was stretched out on the sofa listening to the rain on the roof and watching Belle and Bae in turns. He couldn't honestly remember the last time he was this happy, or this relaxed.

Suddenly, the house shook with a lightning strike nearby, followed quickly by a loud rumble of thunder that damn near made the windows rattle. Bae looked startled and conflicted, as though debating to himself whether or not he was too old to go hide under a bed while Belle, who had been looking at the place it hit, had damn near fallen off her seat in her surprise. Gold kept his chuckle to himself, instead coming over to stand next to her (after discretely moving her wine glass onto a table so that if she did fall she at least wouldn't stab herself) and look out the window.

"It was right there," she said with eyes wide. "I swear, the lightning hit that hill _right there_. I've never seen a lightning strike so close."

"Did you make a wish?"

"Are you supposed to make wishes on lightning strikes?"

He shrugged.

"Honestly I don't know. It just seemed like you should commemorate the occasion somehow."

She tossed him a long suffering look as another, smaller, strike happened a bit further away than the last one and out of view of the window.

"Do you get thunderstorms up this way often?" Belle asked.

"I don't know," he confessed. "I've only been up here a few times myself."

"Why not?"

"No one to go with," he said with a shrug.

Belle looked like she might say something again, but another two strikes in quick succession had Bae leaping to his feet and discarding his game on a table. A third, harder than the first two had him quickly coming over to sit next to his mother. He was trying to be casual, and didn't cling to her, but his rigid body language and wide-eyed glances told the whole story. Belle didn't draw any additional attention to him, draping an arm over his shoulders and pulling him against her comfortingly without even looking at him.

Gold had to resist the urge to smile. He should probably be jealous that Bae had instantly gone to his mother for comfort and not him, but honestly wasn't that what mothers were for? Your first and best source of comfort and love and safety? Fathers were those things, too, but it was different. Belle would always be Bae's safe place, and she would have been even had they both been in the picture all along (and my wasn't that a pleasant picture?). Of course, that didn't mean he had nothing to offer. He sat down on the other side of Bae, making sure the boy was surrounded on both sides. He'd been prone to panic attacks and anxiety as a child, he knew small spaces sometimes helped.

"The storm probably won't last much longer," he said conversationally. "The wind is pretty strong, so it's moving fast."

"You're right," Belle replied. "I just hope it clears before dark."

Another lightning strike, and then the power flickered. Belle squeezed Bae just a little tighter and he wondered if perhaps this aversion to the thunder was learned rather than innate. The power flickered again, and then once more before it went off completely.

"What happened?" Bae said nervously.

"The power just went out," Gold said as casually as he could. "It probably happens up here all the time with all the trees. I'm sure once the storm passes they'll put the lines to right."

"And in the meantime," Belle said cheerfully. "We play a game. You and your dad got games in the city, right?"

Bae nodded.

"Well, go and get them!"

Bae looked a little reluctant to leave, but went off on his mother's instruction anyway.

"He's trying so hard to be brave," Belle said proudly once he was out of earshot.

"Not a big fan of thunder?"

"You noticed?" she said with a slight blush creeping across her face. "No, I'm not. It's silly and I try not to let him notice but...he notices."

Gold didn't say anything right away, unsure of exactly what to say to comfort her when another thunderclap had her jumping again.

"Oh God, it's so stupid," she groaned with a nervous giggle at the end.

He wanted to hold her. He wanted to put his arm around her the same way she had done with Bae and hold her close and keep her safe. But that was what husbands and lovers were for, not co-parents, not friends.

"Not at all," he consoled. "You can't help a fear response."

"I just wish he didn't get frightened," she admitted finally. "I hate that I made him scared, too."

"He might outgrow it," Gold replied. "Or he'll grow up to lead a perfectly happy life someplace where there are a lot of droughts."

She shot him a withering glance, but he chuckled and she relented.

"Do you think the power is coming on soon?"

"I hope so," he said somberly. "At least if the storm passes, we can go outside and swim. And the water heater and stove are on gas, so we have that. But the food is going to go off and we'll have to go shopping again."

She nodded, jumping a little at the next lightning strike and moving her hand closer to his. He thought about touching his fingers to hers, but Bae's return had him jerking his hand into his lap.

"I brought all of them," Bae said, depositing the boxes on the table. "I wasn't sure what you wanted to play."

He heard Belle follow him.

"Oh, what about Scrabble?" she said excitedly, picking up the box.

She sounded so excited, Gold was inclined to agree with her suggestion no matter what it was, but Bae looked horrified.

"Mom, no," he said, sounding more like a war veteran than a ten-year-old.

"Oh come on, Bae," she replied. "It was _one time._"

Bae didn't relent, shaking his head and putting the disputed game under the table. Belle stuck her tongue out at her son, and Gold couldn't decide whether or not he wanted to know what that was all about.

"We could play Monopoly?" he suggested instead, deciding he'd ask both about the Scrabble incident separately and later.

"I am not playing Monopoly with a landlord," Belle teased.

"Twister?" he said with an innocent smile.

This got her to look at him incredulously and burst out laughing. Bae was just looking at them like he couldn't decide if he was embarrassed at their behavior or not, and began setting out the box containing Clue.

"I'm Mister Green," he said definitively. "Dad can be Colonel Mustard and Mom is Mrs. Peacock."

"Alright, then," Gold said, taking his yellow piece and setting it down between Bae's green and Belle's blue. "Clue it is."

The nice thing about Clue, in hindsight, was that there was no real skill required to beat it. There was, of course, the critical thinking aspect, but unlike Scrabble (which, Belle had to admit, she had a bit of an advantage at) it was a fairly even playing field between the three of them. They played a handful of games, barely keeping track of who won (although it was usually Arthur) – but keeping excellent track of who the murderer had been – Belle (or rather, Mrs. Peacock) had 'done it' twice.

The storm eventually passed, but the rain lasted awhile longer, keeping them inside. She didn't mind so much, though. They were having a good time and she kind of enjoyed this. It felt more like a life than their time at the hotel had, more like a family afternoon together than a special occasion. Still, though, at some point it became too dark to continue with boardgames anymore.

Arthur had found some candles and flashlights and they simply sat around and talked and waited for the power to come back on. Somehow it had come out that Belle had danced as a teenager, and Bae had asked her to show him some things. Using her phone to provide music, they had gone through a simple waltz while Arthur watched, before moving on to things like the Macarena and the Electric Slide. Novelty dances Belle had picked up from weddings and school dances, for the most part. Belle and Bae were both breathless and giggling within an hour.

"What do you want to try next?" she asked as yet another song came to an end.

"Let's do another one from when you were a kid," Bae said. "What about the Charleston?"

"I'm not that old!" Belle shrieked in a laugh.

"Oh," he seemed to consider it. "Dad, do you know it?"

"Your dad's not that old either, brat!" Belle swatted Bae playfully and he ducked and flopped onto the sofa.

"I actually do know the Lindy Hop," Arthur supplied, causing Belle to look at him with shock.

"Why on Earth do you know the Lindy Hop?"

"I took ballroom dancing a lifetime ago," he said with a shrug. "Some things just stay with you."

"Well, you're going to have to show your son," she teased him. "He does have a school dance this year, after all."

"Two problems with that," Arthur replied with a smug grin that said he had no intention of helping her with the dancing lessons. "One, I don't think they do the Lindy Hop at school dances in fifth grade and two, I only know how to lead."

Okay, fine, if he wanted to be difficult then two could play that game. Or rather, three could and she had help. She leaned down to whisper her plan into Bae's ear, and he was just as eager to participate as she had hoped he would be. If Arthur noticed anything amiss in their incredibly obvious scheming, he didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up her phone and started fiddling through looking at her available music and draining his glass of wine. They'd both been drinking a little bit and both were in that pleasant stage between sober and tipsy where things were just a little bit more amusing than they should be and time didn't march on quite so slowly.

"Find anything you like?" she said sitting down next to him and taking a sip of her own drink.

"You really have bizarre taste in music," he said with a teasing grin.

"Half of it is Bae's," she admitted. "Some of it is for jogging, some of it is stuff I've had since college, and the rest is just songs that got stuck in my head from the radio."

"That is quite the patchwork assembly."

"Well, I don't see you having anything better to dance to," she pointed out.

"Fair enough," he said. "If we were at home, I do have an old wind up record player we could have used."

He would, of course, have one. And she let the _at home_ slip of his tongue go, not wanting to call attention to things he didn't want her to know about.

"Well," she said standing up. "Are you going to show me this dance or not?"

He froze, hand holding his glass in mid-air as he took in what she said.

"Come on," she continued. "You can't just drop the 'I know the Lindy Hop' bomb and not expect me to take advantage. What else are you going to do with no power?"

"I haven't done it in ages," he demurred. "I'm probably not very good anymore."

"Still better than me," she pointed out. "Anyway, Bae wanted to see, remember?"

It had been a low blow, bringing Bae into it (Bae, who was quietly inching his way towards the door to the kitchen), but worth it because Arthur huffed, flipped the phone to a song he apparently felt might work, and stood up. He took her hand and led her to the center of the room.

"Alright, first thing's first..." he said and he began to run through the steps with her, occasionally glancing to where Bae stood across the room from them to make sure his son was looking.

Eventually, he stopped looking at all, as Belle was a less than ideal student, making him repeat instructions two or three times before getting it. By the time Bae had returned to the room from his errand, they had already had to restart the song three times and she could tell Arthur was getting a bit annoyed by her seeming inability to master the dance.

"Would you like to take a break?" she suggested finally. She felt a little guilty, as she knew he cared too much about her to become _angry _but he did clearly need a moment to decompress – she'd have felt more guilty if she'd made him really do any moving for this lesson, but she'd been the one doing all the twirling and bouncing while he mostly stood in one spot and told her what she was doing wrong.

Bae was trying his best to look innocent, but Belle could see he was nearly vibrating from excitement. She dropped onto the sofa, hoping she could keep Arthur's attention on her and not on their son long enough for her plan to work out. He eyed her suspiciously, though, and she drained her wine glass just to have something to do.

"Can you show me where the wine is?" she asked.

"It's in the kitchen," his voice containing an unspoken _you know that_ which she chose to ignore.

"I only saw the one bottle," she fibbed. "And it's empty now."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but nodded as she grabbed both their empty glasses and went to the door that Bae had just returned from.

"Could you get the door?" she asked him as sweetly as possible. "My hands are full."

He still didn't look like he believed her, but once again he said nothing, instead reaching out and taking the knob. His eyes widened in shock as he registered something sticky smeared on the knob and Bae started laughing uproariously at the joke they'd managed to play on his father and Belle couldn't contain her grin.

"What is this?" he said, looking at his hand in confusion.

"It's honey," Bae supplied from his perch on a chair. "Mom told me to do it."

"_Traitor!_" Belle yelled with a laugh.

"Oh, did she now?" Arthur said, a wicked grin rising on his face as he looked at her. "I suppose you didn't really have that much trouble learning the dance, either."

Belle bit her lip and shook her head. He seemed to consider her for a moment before lunging forward and snaking his clean arm around her waist. She yelped, trying to pull away but unable to do so without risking dropping the glasses she was carrying. Damn, she'd made a mistake with her distraction. Bae was close to falling over in amusement as his father held his mother pinned tight and slowly – so, so slowly – raised his sticky hand to her face. Oh, that bastard!

Belle gritted her teeth and shut her eyes tight as she felt him rubbing the sticky honey across her cheeks and forehead. She couldn't even move her head, as every time she attempted to her hair began sticking unpleasantly to her skin.

It took her awhile to figure out that he'd stopped, her eyes fluttering open to look at him. He was smiling down at her with good humor and she could hear Bae trying desperately to catch his breath from how hard he'd been laughing at this little game. Her heart was beating a little faster from her proximity to Arthur, and he was breathing harder than usual despite not having been exerting himself all _that_ hard. Their eyes met for a second and Belle felt her breath leave her for a moment, as though she'd felt a small electric shock. Or maybe that was the actual electricity, which flickered back on suddenly with a hum.

"Awesome," Bae said cheerfully, climbing off his chair and reclaiming his DS from its spot on the table. "The blackout is over!"

Arthur released her in an instant and she almost swooned from the loss of support.

"I'll just put these in the dishwasher, then," she muttered just to have something to say.

"Let me, um," he looked around nervously. "I'll get the door for you...hey, Bae? Can you clean this off for me?"

"Oh, sure," Bae said, moving through the open door to get a dishtowel. Belle had a fleeting thought of every time she'd ever been put off with 'in a minute' when asking him to take his damn clothes upstairs, but it passed as he breezed back out past them to clean the door.

Arthur took perhaps a bit longer than necessary to wash his hands, but that was alright, she needed a moment to load the dishwasher and settle her thoughts anyway.

"Sorry about that," he apologized as she put water on a paper towel and started to blot the sticky mess off her face.

"Oh, don't worry about it," she said with a smile. "We started it, after all."

"I won't deny that," he said with a wink. "But still, I shouldn't have grabbed you."

"Is that what's bothering you?" she tried her best to sound unaffected. "Don't worry about it. It was all in good fun. Besides, we never did get our dance, did we?"

He offered up one of his watery smiles at that sentiment.

"No, I suppose we didn't," he replied. "But it was a very clever distraction, Miss French, I assure you."

"It wasn't just a distraction," she said idly. "I'd like you to show me sometime when I'm not just trying to let Bae slip away unnoticed."

"Some other time, then," he said. "When it's not just a distraction."

"I'll hold you to that," she promised as she blotted off the last of the honey.

"It's a date, then," he said idly as he looked away. She felt that low tug in her gut again that she'd come to associate with him saying those sorts of things. Someday, she was going to have to figure out how to cope with that growing attraction. But that wasn't going to happen tonight.


	19. Chapter 19

ellen729a said:

If you were looking for prompts for when Arthur Gold, Belle and Bae get to the cabin: Getting lost in the woods. Could be real-lost, pretend-lost (when I was a kid, a small patch of trees could be all sorts of wilderness survival stories), or Gold teaching Bae how not to get lost/what to do if he does get lost.

I'd like to add "bending the map." Bending the map is when you find yourself trying to make your surroundings fit where you think you should be rather than admitting you're somewhere else. If you find yourself saying "Maybe that used to be the stream over there and it's gone dry this summer-and overgrown with grass-and a couple of trees. . . ." you are bending the map. I think, when it comes to their growing attraction for each other, Gold and Belle are bending the map. That's not where they're supposed to be and it's not where they think the other person is, so they're both trying to change the road signs and convince themselves they're someplace else.

* * *

"Now, the most important thing to remember if you ever get lost is not to panic," Dad said.

He was holding a compass and looking at a map and Bae was pretty sure they were, in fact, lost. Mom seemed okay with whatever was going on, though, so Bae had to be as well. He trusted his dad, but his mom was, well, his _mom_. She'd never let him down before and he knew she wouldn't let anything bad happen. This was supposed to be a stargazing trip to the top of a nearby hill, but it had become an impromptu lesson in how to read a map a lot faster than Bae was really okay with, especially considering Dad admitted that he didn't really come here a lot.

Mom shifted the telescope a little bit on her shoulder, and Bae saw his dad cringe a little. Dad always felt bad about it when Mom carried things, but he was juggling a cane and a compass and a map and the telescope wasn't _that_ heavy. Bae had been carrying it himself earlier, but after a half hour of walking his mom had taken it so he wouldn't get worn out. Dad just thought since Mom was a girl and short that meant she wasn't able to carry big things, or that she shouldn't have to. Bae knew better, though. He had seen Mom carry coolers full of drinks for soccer practice and all kinds of other things. She could handle the telescope fine. Besides, if she wanted to carry it he wasn't going to stop her. It wasn't heavy but it was pretty big and bulky and for all that he was apparently going to be a lot taller than Mom (his birth mom had been tall, and Dad was taller than Mom, too) he wasn't yet.

"See, Bae," Dad tried to show him the map. "This is where we are and this is where we're going."

Bae wasn't quite sure how Dad knew where they were, because it all looked like a lot of forest to him. There were some hills nearby but other than that he didn't really know how Dad could possibly have any idea that they were in this particular part and not the one over there. He nodded anyway, though, and looked at Mom for reassurance that he'd done the right thing. Mom was looking between the two of them and she didn't look so sure herself anymore and that was when Bae started to get nervous.

He wished Mom would say something to Dad. He wished she'd just ask a question or come out and say what they were going to do to fix it, but for the first time it occurred to Bae that Mom never really went camping either. She honestly might not know how to fix this. That was scary, because he'd never had a problem Mom couldn't fix before. He really, really just wanted to hug her now but they were walking and she was still holding the telescope so instead he just started walking really close to her.

"Arthur," she finally said. "We need to stop. I think Bae's tired."

Bae was tired, but he hadn't quite realized it yet. The fact that she had made him feel a little better.

Dad looked back at where they were and Bae saw a lot of things go across his face before he nodded.

"Yes, of course," Dad said, taking the telescope from Mom and setting it down on the ground. Mom sagged a little bit once the weight was off of her, and Bae sat down on a stump. He hoped Mom would talk to Dad and get him to take them back to the cabin. They could see the stars fine from there.

"We're not too far away," Dad told Mom and even Bae could hear how fake his good mood was. "Just a little bit longer, I think."

"Show me," she said, grabbing the map and holding it up. "Where are we going?"

Dad swallowed a little but came to stand behind Mom so they could both see what they were looking at. He pointed to a spot on the map.

"See," Dad said. "That's the hill over there and there should be a creek that runs along this path. We're going to this hill here."

"But is there a creek that runs along this path?" Mom asked quietly.

"Well, it's summer. You can't always trust a creek to be there all summer."

"Is there a creek bed?"

Dad was completely silent and Bae knew that nobody had looked to see if there was a creek to the side of the path. He saw Dad glance over at him, so he bent down and picked up a stick and started poking the dirt with it. He wanted to hear this, but it wasn't a conversation either of them would have with him in earshot.

"Arthur," Bae could hear his mom trying really hard not to yell. "Are we lost?"

He didn't hear his dad's reply, but he heard his mom suck in air hard and then she turned to face his dad.

"How can you not know?" she was talking in a whisper just loud enough to be heard if Bae held his breath. "What is wrong with you?"

"I thought I knew," Dad was clearly trying to calm Mom down but Bae knew that wasn't going to work.

"You brought our son out here!" Mom squeaked a little bit and hit Dad's arm. It wasn't hard, and Bae was pretty sure it was mostly out of frustration and fear but he'd never seen her hit anyone except when she was playing with him – she'd never even spanked him. He'd never seen her afraid before, though – not really. Dad didn't flinch, instead he just took her hands in his and held on while he talked.

"I'm sorry, Belle," he said softly and Bae saw his dad rubbing the backs of his mom's hands with his thumbs to try to comfort her. "I am sorry. I thought I knew where I was going and I thought this would be nice. You know I wouldn't have gotten either of you lost like this on purpose. You _know_ that."

Dad was pleading a little bit, but it at least Mom didn't seem angry anymore so maybe it was working.

"We need to go back," Mom said firmly. "We just need to get him back to the cabin where it's safe."

"We do," Dad agreed but he didn't make any attempt to drop Mom's hands and lead them home which made Bae even more nervous.

"Do you know where the cabin is?" Mom asked and Bae knew she already had the answer to that.

"I'm not sure," Dad admitted quietly.

Mom was shaking now from something and Bae hoped it was anger and not fear because if Mom was afraid that meant Mom couldn't fix it. Mom had to be able to fix it, because somebody had to fix it.

Mom finally leaned forward and put her face on Dad's shoulder and started to shake harder, and that's when Bae realized she was crying. Mom never cried, and Dad seemed just about as confused as Bae felt. He dropped her hands, and moved like he wanted to put his arms around her but wasn't sure if he should or not, so instead he kind of waved at the air near her back. Well, clearly Dad wasn't going to be a lot of help with this, but Bae was pretty sure that he could at least do this much.

He stood up and walked over to his mom cautiously. She rarely cried, at least not in front of him and this was the first time it ever occurred to Bae that maybe Mom cried other times when he couldn't see her. The idea that she might not be able to rescue them was so, so scary and not because of spending the night in the woods (although that didn't sound like a lot of fun, it wouldn't kill them) but because Mom always fixed everything. He'd never had a problem that she didn't make better before.

Dad saw him coming and stood up a little straighter. He'd finally settled on resting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing them up and down her arms, but Bae wrapped his arms around her waist from the side and pressed his face into her stomach. Mom made a strange little whimpering sound and turned to pull Bae into a tight hug. He was having trouble breathing for a minute but it was okay, because it seemed to make her feel better. Dad was still standing nearby, looking uncomfortable and alone and Bae wished his mom wasn't so angry because Dad probably needed a hug, too.

He thought it was probably a relief for both of them when Mom stopped shaking, stood up, and snatched the map and compass away from Dad. Dad didn't seem like he was okay with Mom being so upset, but Bae thought he might be able to handle her being angry at him at least. Bae hoped so, anyway. Dad was kind of sensitive sometimes, but Bae trusted his mom. She'd never actually do anything bad even if she was angry.

It took forty-five minutes of arguing over a map and another hour and a half of hiking before they were safely back at the cabin. Belle had taken possession of the map and the compass, and Bae had apparently picked up enough on her distress (although how could he have missed it?) and clung to her like a limpet for the first hour of their journey, at which point Belle had been confident enough that they were headed in the general direction of safety that she was willing to look back to where Arthur trailed them.

He looked miserable, the telescope under one arm and his cane clutched in his hand. Maybe she'd overreacted, although she wasn't really sure how she should react to _I got both of us and our ten-year-old lost in the woods with spotty cell service_. He was so cautious most of the time and this was definitely a momentary lapse in judgment, but she was half afraid if she spoke to him she was going to kill him.

With a sigh, she disengaged Bae with a whispered suggestion that his dad might need help and slowed her pace enough so that Arthur was forced to catch up to her once Bae had the telescope.

"Am I forgiven, then?" he said with a wry smile that she knew meant he was trying his luck with a joke.

"Almost," she admitted. "I'm not terrified anymore, but I think you and I need to have a long talk tonight."

He nodded, accepting her terms, and glanced at Bae who was doing his very best to not acknowledge that his dad was in so much trouble.

Belle wasn't sure she'd ever felt as much relief as when the damn mansion he insisted on calling a cabin came into view and she knew that her son was safe. They made it through the door and Belle could have kissed the floor from sheer relief.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Bae said as he set the telescope down on the stairs.

"Take a shower first," Belle reminded him. "You're filthy."

He nodded before ascending the stairs on all fours. She should probably remind him to walk upright, but was too exhausted to bother. Whatever, climbing stairs like a dog was hardly the worst habit he'd ever develop. Arthur lingered in the living room, and she knew he was waiting for her to yell at him but just being inside had drained her of nearly all her energy. It was all she could do to collapse on the sofa with her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Belle," he said softly, coming to sit across from her in an armchair. "I didn't mean to put you and Bae at risk, I really thought I knew where we were going."

"I know," she muttered. "That's what's so fucking frustrating. I shouldn't have to worry about you leading us into the middle of the woods on a lark! For God's sake, you brought a first aid kit on a picnic!"

"I did," he agreed.

"You're supposed to know better than this!" she exclaimed, climbing to her feet and pacing now that she had energy for anger again. "You've never done something so dumb and I just don't see how this was a good idea. Explain it to me, please."

She stopped her pacing near his chair and stared down at him.

"I don't have an explanation," he reminded her. "I told you, I know it was a bad idea. I don't know why I did it."

"Not that," she said. "Why was it so important that we go for this hike tonight? What were we trying to accomplish?"

"Oh," he said with a groan. "There's a clearing a little ways from here. Somewhere around here, anyway. Last time I was up here I found it. It's so pretty and isolated from all the lights so you can see the milky way and everything and...I don't know. It just occurred to me that he'd probably never been far enough away from civilization to see the stars like that."

He took a deep breath as though bracing for her scorn, and she dropped back down to sit on the edge of the sofa. He'd meant well and she knew that – she'd known it even as she yelled at him and sobbed in the woods.

"I'm so, so sorry Belle," he continued. "Really, I am. If I could do it again we'd just go out on the back porch and look. I just wanted him to see what the sky is supposed to look like."

"It's okay," she said finally, reaching out and taking her hand in both of hers. "I understand. I shouldn't have hit you, anyway. No matter how angry I was at the time. I'm sorry for that."

"What?" he said, realization dawning on his face. "Oh, that? I barely even noticed. I've certainly taken a harder hit than that one."

"Still," she insisted. "I wouldn't want Bae doing it and I shouldn't, either."

"It was barely a tap," he said with a smile. "And I did almost get you killed, anyway. I think you earned it."

She tried to scowl, but he was just so happy that she wasn't angry with him anymore that she couldn't bring herself even to feign annoyance.

"Alright," she said finally. "If we're going to be friends again then I'm going to wash up and go to bed. I have forest all over me."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," he said, bracing his hands on the chair and beginning to stand up.

He didn't make it, though. Instead, he collapsed back into the chair with a growl and a wince. Belle was at his side in an instant, and had her arm around his shoulders before she knew what she was doing.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, but she knew as she said it what was wrong. "Is it your leg?"

He nodded instead of answering, gritting his teeth so hard Belle wasn't sure if one would break or not.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

He shook his head.

"No," he forced out. "I'll be fine."

"Let me rephrase that," she said again. "Is there something that I could do to help that you don't want to tell me about because you're too proud to ask?"

He froze for a second and looked at her. Pain was still visible in his face, but she seemed to at least have startled him into forgetting the worst of it, at least.

"Alright," he finally said. "There is something."


	20. Chapter 20

**thatravenclawbitch said:**

Adoption verse!Prompt: Gold starts getting awkward boners all the time around Belle!

**woodelf68 said:**

Adoption verse prompt: Belle massage's Gold's leg to make it feel better.

**anonymousnerdgirl said:**

You realize this [Belle's bathtub dream] needs a companion piece about Gold having a similar fantasy in the shower. While wanking.

* * *

This was a terrible idea and Arthur couldn't believe he'd agreed to it. Yes, there were stretches he could do that would help his knee, and _yes_ those stretches were more effective with someone else to provide resistance. He wasn't entirely sure how Belle had lit upon the idea of using the hot tub to relax his muscles, but he was pretty sure this was how he was going to die. For one thing, he could barely walk on his own at the moment so she'd had to walk him to his bedroom, sit him on his bed, get his trunks, and then leave him to change while she put on her own bathing suit (and oh hey why the hell had she brought a different bathing suit to wear to the lake than the one she wore to the beach? Was it because the universe hated him? Was it some sick cosmic joke that had her in a goddamn bikini?). Once she was changed, she returned to help him out to the balcony where the hot tub was located, which of course necessitated her arm around his bare torso and his arm draped around her shoulders as he tried not to notice the way her breast was pressed against his side as they walked. There was far too much skin to skin contact. This was not okay.

Belle didn't seem to notice his distress, at least, which was a small miracle of itself. Ever since their night in the same bed, he'd been having a...well, a pretty big problem. Prolonged physical contact with her had begun leading to certain _responses_ that he would have preferred to keep to his bedroom where they belonged. It was like his body had only now realized that he was attracted to her, and was dead set on reminding him of that fact as frequently as possible. Which, it turned out, was pretty frequently. Belle was a very tactile person and not at all above cuddling Bae, and if Bae was between the two of them then she seemed perfectly content to cuddle Arthur as well. That was awkward, but at least he was usually wearing more than a bathing suit at the time. And he was sitting. Often with a blanket in his lap.

As she helped him into the water before climbing in herself, he missed his blanket.

Good Lord, she was wearing a bikini and a smile as she climbed into the other side of the hot tub and grabbed his leg. It was like every teenage masturbatory fantasy he'd ever have come to life as she started rubbing the muscles of his lower thigh, trying to relax them before the stretching.

"So what do I do now?" she broke into his thoughts with a tentative voice.

"Um," he tried to remember back when he went to physical therapy. "I need you to push against my foot until the knee is as bent as I can take, and then I need to push against your hand to straighten it out."

She nodded, and damn him he'd never had a prettier or more focused physical therapist. She was so gentle, bracing his foot against her chest and leaning into him slowly until he would tell her to stop and then rubbing her free hand against the muscles of his leg (which were strained from being forced to compensate for the weakness in his knee) until he was comfortable, and then let him push her back until she was seated against the other side of the hot tub. She had been right, and his leg did feel better (or at least it felt like it would feel better in the morning), but he'd never been so happy for the water to obscure his shame-tented groin.

"It doesn't usually hurt like this, does it?" she asked finally. "I mean, you usually don't seem too bothered by it like you have been."

"Have you been watching me, Belle?" he tried teasing but he thought the pain in his voice might have ruined the effect.

"I've been living with you for a week and a half," she said matter-of-factly. "And you weren't exactly a stranger before that."

"It's been a long week," he said through clenched teeth as she pushed against him again. "I've been pushing too hard. It's my own damn fault."

He swallowed a grunt of pain but she noticed anyway, soft fingers immediately coming to rub away the hurt and he had to grit his teeth to keep from moaning with pleasure. He wasn't sure if this was torture or bliss, or even if he wanted her to stop.

"You're trying to be a good dad," she said with a shrug. "No one would blame you for that. I think it's sweet how hard you're trying."

She really was too good to be believed. Too beautiful, too kind, too sweet.

"He's my son," he said through gritted teeth as he straightened his leg back out and tried not to notice that he was touching her breast with his foot. "I'm just trying to keep up with him."

"There's no reason to push like this, though," she said softly. "Nobody wants to see you do any permanent damage."

She now had one hand wrapped around his upper calf and the other resting just above his knee as she leaned into him again. He had stopped noticing the pain anymore, or maybe he'd stopped feeling it, because all he could feel was that he was on fire where she touched him.

"I need to get out," he blurted, pulling away from her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," he tried to reassure her but his voice sounded wrong. "Yes, I'm fine. I just...thank you but I have to go."

He was thankful at least that she had done such a good job as he hobbled away, because he could at least walk under his own power, leaving her alone and confused in a hot tub. God, he was a heel. She'd been doing him a favor and he'd run away from her like the coward he was. He hated himself, and he was painfully hard. Another excellent reason to hate himself – he'd taken her kind gesture and warped it into something tawdry.

Gold limped into the bathroom, stripping and turning the shower on. He'd had some success lately with drowning his desire for her in scalding showers, but this time his blood was already boiling from her gentle touches and the heat of the hot tub and the burning on his skin mirrored the fire inside. He was feverish and he couldn't help it as he wrapped one hand around himself and pulled. He hated himself for this weakness, for these desires that were overwhelming and clawing at his mind. He needed a release, maybe then he could think straight.

It was fast work to spill himself in the shower, but the return of blood to his head left him dizzy and unsteady. He quickly shut the shower off and nearly collapsed into the tub as the last of the water ran down the drain. He couldn't breathe, he needed to get out of the bathroom and the steam and it was a herculean effort to crawl on hands and knees into the bedroom so he could collapse on the floor next to his bed and gather his wits about him.

Gradually, his breathing returned to normal and his blood pressure settled. He hoisted himself up, and was glad when his equilibrium didn't betray him. He was so damn thirsty. That's what he got for going on a long hike, climbing into a hot tub, and then masturbating in a scalding hot shower. Dehydration was basically a given at that point. He grabbed a pair of pajama pants and pulled them on. He couldn't put the top on, he just couldn't. Too much fabric and he was still so damn hot. Everyone had seen him without a shirt by this point in the trip, there was no sense playing coy about it now.

He'd hoped – really, really hoped – that Belle would have gone to sleep by now, but as he made his way to the kitchen there she was, sitting on the counter and sipping a glass of wine in her damn bikini.

"Oh," she looked surprised to see him when she glanced up from her glass. "Are you feeling alright? You ran off so fast."

"Yes," he said, not daring to look at her and instead making a show of getting a glass and filling it with cold water. "I'm fine. I'm sorry if I scared you."

He took a long drink from his glass, relishing the way the liquid seemed to instantly make his blood work better.

"You look feverish," she said simply, reaching out and touching a hand to his overheated forehead. "You're burning up."

"I'm fine," he lied. "I just let myself get a bit dehydrated is all. I'm better now."

She didn't look like she believed him, but she didn't question it.

"Your skin is bright red."

"I told you, I was dehydrated. And overheated."

"Alright," she said finally. "You better be alright." Belle drained her glass and hopped down off the counter before continuing, "I'm going to bed."

"Sleep well," he said, bracing himself against the sink as she stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

"You too," she said with a gentle pat to his bare shoulder before turning and ascending the stairs to where her room was.

He gulped down the rest of his water, pouring another glass and clutching it in both hands like a lifeline. She had no idea what she was doing to him, and the worst part was that he didn't really want her to stop.

It was high time that he admitted a few things to himself – for one thing, Belle was exactly his type physically. This was a demonstrable fact that anyone who had known him ten years ago would have pointed out already. Her coloring and facial structure mirrored both Milah's and Cora's to the point that Bae could pass for her biological child. She was a bit shorter than both, but that was a negligible difference. The physical attraction was practically a given the moment he walked into her house the first time, so he shouldn't have found it that surprising.

He'd known she was intelligent before he even met her (he'd done his homework, after all, and she'd graduated with top honors from school). But the world was full of beautiful girls, and it was full of intelligent girls, and there was more overlap between those groups than people liked to acknowledge. Belle shouldn't be that special, but yet she was. She was the mother of his son, and she had welcomed him into her home and her life with no reservations, very little hesitation, and no caveats beyond insisting that Bae not be hurt.

He didn't know what was going on, or why, but he was beginning to suspect that this had gone beyond anywhere he'd expected it to. He could dance around it for days – call it a crush, call it a little infatuation, call it whatever he liked – but the fact of the matter was that he wanted Belle. He desperately, desperately wanted her. He wanted her smiles and her kisses and wanted to see her when she woke up in the morning and see her when she laughed and when she cried and have her look at him and know he was allowed to touch her and that she would welcome him. He wanted her to love him. He loved her.

And now he was hard again from her kissing him, dammit.


	21. Chapter 21

cynicsquest on prompted:

Prompt: Belle impresses Arthur further by proving how good a fisherwoman she is. Would love it if they both fell in the pond and it lead to a kiss (or, a kiss lead to falling in the pond).

A/N: Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of kissing coming up any time soon. It's coming eventually, but you guys are gonna have to be patient. This is the slow burn story to end all slow burn stories.

* * *

"This isn't what we were counting on for dinner, was it?" Belle whispered to Arthur.

He gave her a smile and glanced over to where Bae sat, maintaining a constant stream of chatter as he reeled his line in again to reveal nothing on it...again.

"I thought we might order a pizza, actually," he said with a soft chuckle.

"My hero," she teased, turning her attention back to the water before another thought occurred to her. "Do they deliver out here?"

"They do if you pay them enough," he said with a shrug and a smile.

They had decided to spend a day fishing, because that's what you do at cabins in the woods. Belle hadn't been fishing since she was a little girl, and Bae had never been. Bae was also physically incapable of not talking for more than sixty-seconds at a stretch, and had no real interest in actually catching anything. It was more for an excuse for father and son to spend time together than anything. Belle couldn't begrudge either of them that. And there was a rowboat! How many chances does a modern woman really have to go out in a rowboat, anyway?

"So Dad?" Bae said, looking up at Arthur as he spoke.

"Hm?"

"What's black and white and makes a lot of noise?"

Arthur looked a little stunned at Bae's odd question, but played along.

"I don't know, Bae," he finally said. "What?"

"A zebra with a drum kit!"

Belle couldn't help smiling in amusement at how stupid the joke was, and Arthur gave Bae a chuckle and a pat on the head. Bae, of course, took this as encouragement.

"What's a witch's favorite subject in school?"

"What?"

"Spelling."

"You're very clever, son," Arthur said affectionately.

Bae smiled shyly at the praise, going back to recasting his line. He seemed more interested in casting his line than in actually waiting for things to bite but that probably had something to do with his known aversion to eating fish than anything else. Plus she had to admit it was pretty fun to swing the rod around.

She cast her line out a bit further, letting the sound of Bae's jokes and Arthur's confused sounding replies fade into the background. This was nice. She could see why her dad had always liked fishing. Thoughts of her dad always left Belle a little melancholy. He'd died around the same time Bae was born, and now that she thought back on it she didn't think she'd really given herself enough time to grieve before taking on parenting. Not that she regretted her son – quite the opposite, she was thankful every day that she had him – but she wasn't really sure she'd finished mourning her father before she jumped into motherhood.

Belle sometimes wondered what her father would think about her current situation. On the one hand, anything that would have gotten his little girl out on a boat with a fishing rod in her hand would probably have been alright by him, but in a grander sense she wasn't sure.

She thought he might have disapproved of her decision to become a parent all of a sudden, but of course Bae would have won him over nearly immediately. Her papa had loved everything she ever loved, simply because it made her happy. She'd been the only child of a doting father and she had no trouble at all imagining him transferring that affection to her son as well. Bae, too, would have benefited from having a stable male influence in his life from infancy.

Oh sure, he'd done alright with coaches and such, and he had a pretty good bond with Dr. Hopper even though his visits were now sporadic at best, but it was different when it was a man who was with you because he wanted to be and not because he was paid to be. That, she decided, was the best thing about having Arthur around. He was here because he wanted to be, because he'd spent time and money to find them, because he wanted to know her son for no other reason than because Bae existed. Whether Bae really understood that or not yet, she knew that was the single best gift her child could have gotten – the knowledge that he had two parents who wanted him so much that they both went out of their way to be with him.

She was less sure of how her father would feel about Arthur, honestly. She thought he might disapprove of her having a man so much older than her hanging about, but then he'd always been a little overprotective. She hoped that (in this fantasy world in which her father was still alive) the two men might have come to terms with each other for the benefit of her son. Her papa would have wanted his grandchild to be happy and as loved as possible, and that Arthur loved Bae was as self-evident as the sun rising in the east.

The warmth of the sun and the quiet comfort of the situation had Belle drifting off a little, only to be startled awake when the rod jerked in her hands.

"Oh my gosh," she yelped as it tugged, drawing the attention of her son and his father. "I caught something!"

"Really?" Arthur seemed surprised, though that might have had more to do with Bae's constant noise than her own skill as a fisherwoman.

"Way to go, Mom!" Bae exclaimed, moving over to her and rocking the boat a little. "Reel it in! I wanna see!"

"Give her a minute, Bae," Arthur chided, wrapping his arms around the boy and holding him away from her a little so she could pull the line, but also keeping him still so he wouldn't rock the boat again.

"I've never caught anything before," Belle said breathlessly, continuing a steady pull-then-wind movement so as not to break her line. She'd really only been out fishing a handful of times before, and both of those were before she was a teenager, but she still remembered bits and pieces from her father's occasional attempts to bring her into his interests and hobbies.

"You're doing great," Arthur encouraged her. "Just keep going."

"It feels like it's probably a big one," she replied excitedly.

Bae was squirming in his father's grasp, trying to come to stand over his mother's shoulder, but she was grateful that the boy was restrained. After the fish got pulled in, they all needed to have a long talk about boat safety.

"This is so cool!" Bae chirped as Belle finally got the – disappointingly small – fish out of the water and into the boat.

"Somehow I thought it would be bigger," she said as Bae picked up the end of her line and held the fish up in front of him.

"I've never touched a live fish before," he said. "It's kind of slimy."

"That keeps them from getting parasites," Arthur explained as he took the fish and grabbed a little tool to cut the hook, freeing the fish. "Here, Bae, why don't you toss him back for your mom?"

Belle knew it was going to happen before it did. Call it mother's intuition, call it a premonition, call it a lifetime of experience leading up to the moment that Bae stood up, leaned over the edge of the boat, and the fish wriggled – startling Bae and causing him to drop the fish and recoil, which set the boat rocking too hard to be stopped before it capsized, sending all three of them into the lake.

They all came up about the same time, Belle clinging to the edge of the boat and Bae clinging to his mother while Arthur tread water nearby.

"Well," she said to Arthur as she brushed her hair back from her face. "I realize now we may have forgotten to give Bae a proper lecture about why one should be careful about standing in a boat."

"You could be right," he replied. "My mistake."

"Both of us," she said simply, giving Bae a little squeeze before guiding him to the side of the boat. "But I don't think he's going to do that again in any case, are you?"

Bae shook his head, looking a little shellshocked at his new situation.

"So that's settled, then," she winked at Arthur. "I believe someone promised me pizza?"

After his little temper tantrum of the night before, Arthur actually found that accepting he was in love with Belle made socializing with her easier. He wasn't going to expect anything from her – in fact, he had no intention of ever revealing to her that his feelings were anything besides platonic – but sitting in the living room with her and Bae and telling childhood stories while all three were still damp from showering and eating pizza in sweatpants and pajamas suddenly didn't feel like an impossible task. He loved her. She could eat a surprising amount of pizza, and he now knew that she put her hair up in a bun when it was damp so that it would be wavy when it dried, but he loved her. He'd been in love before, and it had ended disastrously each time. But he could love her from afar, and as long as she didn't know his heart might just be safe.

Belle really was beautiful, too, even with the slight sunburn she'd developed over the course of the trip. Her eyes would light up as she spoke, and she'd smile this odd little smile as she relayed stories of Bae's early life (which he always pretended to be embarrassed by, but the way he smiled when their attention was on him belied his desperate need to be the focus of their relationship). It made him feel whole again to be with them, and now he knew why Belle was such an integral part of his happiness. It all made sense, and now that the mystery of why he needed her was gone it was like this stress he'd been under had finally been relieved and he could focus entirely on his family.

He was so caught up in being in love with her that he didn't notice she'd stopped talking right away, until he realized she was staring very intently at the floor about six inches away from his foot. Glancing down, he saw there was a spider skittering across the floor. It suddenly paused, before turning and moving about a foot towards Belle before she yelped and jumped onto the back of the sofa.

"Bae, get your feet off the floor," she said, alarm rising in her voice as Bae tucked his feet up onto his chair.

"It's just a little spider," Gold looked over at Belle. Somehow it had never occurred to her she would have more than one phobia – or that spiders would be the thing that got her climbing up a chair.

Whatever her retort would have been was lost as the spider made another run towards her, causing her to shriek and fall off her perch onto the floor behind the couch.

Bae failed to stifle a giggle in his hands, and it was all Gold could do not to burst into laughter as she stood up and shot her son a death glare.

"For God's sake Belle, you're Australian," he chuckled as he went to find a cup and a piece of paper.

"And I moved to New England," she spat at him. "We have been over this!"

He wasn't sure she'd ever stop surprising him. She could face near drowning with aplomb, but an arachnid (which, he desperately wanted to point out, wasn't even of the venomous variety) had her practically climbing the walls in desperation to get away from it. She watched him intently as he flipped an empty glass down over top of the spider and slipped a paper plate underneath it.

"Bae, can you get the door?"

Bae hopped up, running to open the front door for his father and watching as he unceremoniously deposited the bug into the bushes next to the porch.

"Alright," he called back as he walked back into the house with the cup and plate still in his hand. "You're safe, he's outside where he can't hurt anybody..."

He'd been about to continue, but Belle nearly knocked him over as she ran over and wrapped her arms around him tight. He looked around in confusion, but Bae just gave him a sympathetic smirk and grabbed another piece of pizza out of the box.

"Thank you so much," she gushed. "I hate – hate – spiders!"

"Belle, it's fine," he wanted to hug her tight and smell her hair but his hands were full and that would be creepy anyway, so instead he sort of placed his arms around her back and let her continue her hugging. "It wasn't even a dangerous spider. It was just a regular little house spider."

"I still hate them," her voice was mumbled some by his shirt. He was trying valiantly not to feel some masculine pride at having vanquished the threat to the princess, but was failing miserably.

"Regardless," he finally said, stepping back a little bit to give his ego room to settle. "It's fine. If you really want to thank me..." his mind went strange places and he quickly changed statements. "You don't have to thank me."

She seemed to consider for a moment, before popping up on tiptoes and kissing him on the cheek again like she had at the sink when he realized he loved her. He wasn't sure what she meant by that, but she smiled at him like he'd saved her from a dragon and took the cup and plate from him to return to the kitchen.

"She always gets like that around spiders," Bae explained once she was out of the room. "I just ignore her now, unless she pays me to kill them for her. It's safer that way."

"How in the world did she survive before you were old enough to kill them?"

He shrugged.

"One time when I was kind of little she gave me a hand vacuum and told me she'd buy me any toy I wanted if I got a spider out of the sink. I got a pretty cool LEGO kit."

By now, Belle had returned from the kitchen and put on a mock-offended face.

"Bailey Neal French, are you telling stories about me?"

"Are you saying he's a liar?" Gold teased, taking a sip of his drink.

"I would never bribe a child!" Belle said in a huff. "It was an incentive, that's different."

"Clearly."

Bae scowled at his mom, but she didn't seem to mind. She was looking at Gold still. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about being cast as the hero in this, but he didn't think he'd ever get sick of her looking at him that way. He could be content like this, he decided. Just the three of them. Nothing inappropriate, very little touching, but so much love it was palpable. It was all he ever wanted again.


	22. Chapter 22

**Anonymousnerdgirl said:**

Belle and Arthur find the spot they got lost looking for and they have a moment- which is promptly interrupted by Bae.

**Woodlf68 said:**

Adoption!verse prompt: Arthur spots a hidden fawn &amp; fetches Bae to see it. Bae worries it's abandoned, but Arthur assures him the mother deer will come back, &amp; they settle down to watch with their telescope. When the mom returns, Arthur draws a parallel, saying they'll never leave him either.

* * *

"So this is the infamous spot, huh?" Belle said as they reached the clearing at the top of the hill he'd taken them to. "I have to say, I can see why you wanted to come here."

Gold looked around happily – coming back in daylight had been a good idea (and so had bringing a phone to use as a GPS, but he wasn't about to admit that out loud). They had brought a picnic and were going to stay to watch for stars. Storybrooke was hardly a bustling city, but there was still light pollution, and this was the last night of their vacation. Gold wanted to make sure that his son had this final memory to cherish. This clearing was towards the top of a hill, and far away from the road and other cabins. At night, you could see the Milky Way. He was itching to show this to them, because he doubted that either had ever seen anything like it before in their lives.

"Hey Mom?" Bae's voice broke into his thoughts. "I'm gonna go look around, okay?"

Belle glanced over to Gold quickly before replying to her son.

"That's fine," she said. "Just make sure you stay where you can see us."

Bae nodded and began making a tour of the perimeter of the area.

"Alone again," she said once Bae was out of earshot. "That child spends more time wandering by himself I swear."

Gold had noticed that as well, but hadn't seen anything odd in it. A thought occurred to him, then.

"Does he not usually spend time by himself?"

"He's ten," she said with a shrug. "He's been through a lot of phases. Sometimes he wants me there all the time and I can barely shut the door to pee and sometimes he wouldn't notice if I took a week long road trip as long as I had pizza delivered while I was gone."

"I'm sure he'd notice," Gold replied. "But if you had pizza delivered nightly I can see how he might not care."

She shot him a look and playfully slapped his arm, but didn't say anything. Instead, she just took out the blanket they'd brought for their picnic and began spreading it out on the grass, carefully straightening the corners and weighing them down with small stones. He watched her, because he couldn't really move as easily as she did and he knew if he tried to help she'd just shoo him away. Besides, he had a lot to think about. Belle seemed surprised at how often Bae wandered off and left them alone. Gold had always assumed that he was just an independent child, but then she hadn't been present for the conversation at the beach when Bae asked if they were dating. He had his suspicions.

"Are you going to sit or just stand there staring at Bae all day?" Belle said from where she was now seated on the blanket.

He lowered himself to the blanket, careful of his leg as he went. Belle had gotten herself a glass of ice tea from a large thermos and offered him one of his own as they both watched their shared son meandering through the clearing, hitting tall grass with a stick and occasionally glancing around at various forest noises.

"Thank you for taking us here," she said softly. "We usually wouldn't get to do something this big."

"You don't have to thank me," he reminded her. "I wouldn't have done any of it without you two, either."

"Still," she continued, weaving her arm through his and squeezing for a second. "Thank you."

He didn't know what to say. She was still thanking him for something he wanted her to take for granted that he would do. There was nothing either Belle or Bae could ever want that he wouldn't try to provide.

This was their second picnic, he realized. He doubted he'd been on more than two picnics before meeting Bae and Belle, and yet this was his second one in as many months. He felt a strange sense of calm at that realization, though. Life with these two was wholesome in a way he'd never experienced before. It was as though he was cleansed by their presence, a lifetime of selfishness washed away in a handful of months.

And, of course, he loved them so much he could hardly stand it. Being with either was like coming home, being with both was like waking up in a fairy tale just in time for the happily ever after. Being in love with Belle had actually added a whole new dimension to his happiness. The confusion was gone, and all he had left was a strange sense of relief. He could have it all – she hadn't dated in ten years, aside from the one he'd watched Bae for, and she didn't seem to feel the loss, either. He had no particular need for romantic affection that couldn't be fulfilled by the gentle touches and cheek kisses he already received from her. He could do this, he decided. He could be there whenever she needed him without question, and he'd be there for Bae regardless. They could be a family in every way but name.

He was dangerously close to blurting this new truth out to her when Bae thankfully interrupted his father before he made a fool of himself.

"Mom! Dad!" he shouted as he ran over to them from the forest's edge. "I found an abandoned baby deer!"

"What do you mean?" Belle asked, standing up and offering Gold her hand.

"I found a deer," Bae explained as his mother helped his father up. "But it was all alone. I think it's mom left it. Or maybe she died."

"Bae," Gold replied with a smile. "The mother probably left it there while she went to get food."

Belle nodded in agreement, but Bae still looked unconvinced.

"Where is it?" she asked him comfortingly.

"Back over there in the forest," Bae said, pointing to where he'd been.

"Tell you what," Gold said, glancing down to where Bae had indicated. "Why don't we have dinner, and then afterward we can go back and check on the fawn and see if it's mom hasn't come back for it by then."

Bae still seemed unsure, but his mother was nodding in agreement with his father and rubbing Bae's back and the boy seemed a little reassured by their confidence.

"Why can't we stay with it to protect it?" he asked.

"If we stay," Belle explained. "Then the mom won't come back. She'll be afraid if she shows us where her baby is we'll hurt it, so she'll stay away until she thinks it's safe for them both."

This seemed to placate him a little, and he settled with them to eat. He remained agitated, though, despite his parents' cheerful conversation. Belle had raised a sweet child, and it almost broke Gold's heart how beautiful that was. Finally, sandwiches were consumed, various other bits had been added (mostly to clean out the pantry, since it was the last day of the trip) and dessert had gone a long way towards soothing Bae's worry. Still, though, no sooner had they finished their meal than Bae was springing back to his feet.

"Let's go check on the baby deer," he insisted, grabbing his dad's arm and pulling him a little.

Once everyone was standing, Bae led them back to where he had found the fawn. Sure enough, the baby was gone.

"See, Bae?" Belle said. "Parents don't leave their babies."

"Your mom's right," Gold added. "That's what being a parent is, after all."

Bae seemed comforted by this new piece of information, as well as having two parents to reassure him. They returned to the clearing as the sun was setting, and sat around talking and laughing as they waited for the stars to come out. They shared favorite memories of the trip, and discussed plans for the rest of the summer. Bae was looking forward to starting day camp, and Belle was looking forward to school starting up again – Gold was just happy to be included. They discussed what sports Bae was planning to start in the coming year, and Gold convinced both that maybe he should attend soccer camp next year. Bae was slightly more interested than Belle was, but she was a good sport about it as always.

Finally, he heard Belle gasp and glanced up.

"Whoa," Bae mumbled reverently.

The sky above them was clear and beautiful, shades of purple visible between the sparkling white of the stars and the inky black night. Occasionally, a shooting star would cut across the sky and one of the three would whisper a wish into the evening, but by and large they were silent from then on with only Belle occasionally breaking the silence by pointing out constellations and mythological tidbits to her son. Eventually, all three were reclining on the blanket with Bae in the middle. Gold indulged himself in the occasional glance to his son and the even less frequent glance to Belle – a part of him wished he could reach across the blanket and take Belle's hand in his, but he knew that would be a step too far. Still, though, they were both the most beautiful things he'd ever seen in his life, and on the next star he sent up the silent prayer that this moment could last forever.


	23. Chapter 23

Anonymous said:

I dunno about fluffy prompts for the adoption verse camping trip, but I have one for the car trip home. Who sings along with whatever music they listen to, who picked it out, who has to be coaxed into joining in, what song makes someone lunge for the volumn control, and who has a surprisingly good voice?

Anonymousnerdgirl said:

Gold has a downward spiral following the vacation: scotch, broken glass, and bad memories.

* * *

The trip to the airport had involved a lot of singing. They'd had radio singalongs on the way up to the cabin, but the way to the airport had been much, much worse. Everyone seemed to be in a mood of forced cheerfulness, leading to Gold coming damn close to changing the station on a few Taylor Swift songs that Belle insisted on yelling the words to at the top of her lungs. He didn't quite have the heart, though. She was having so much fun teasing Bae into joining her that he couldn't be the one to interrupt their fun, in spite of the fact that the pop music stations seemed to play the same twelve songs on repeat.

He wasn't sure how he was going to go back to his life after all of this. Living with the two of them had been magical, and he just wanted to be a more permanent addition to their lives. She must have sensed his mood darkening as they approached the airport, because he felt her hand slowly come to rest on his shoulder. It wasn't a romantic gesture, but that made it even more heartwarming. She was comforting him for no other reason than because he was upset. It took a lot of willpower to turn into the airport rather than just heading back to the cabin and starting their new lives as recluses.

Still, though, he held it together. They got through airport security fine, and even onto the plane without him having a massive panic attack. Sitting on the plane between Belle and Bae as his son looked out the window as the ground rapidly became further and further away, he realized that this was the last of their family being together like this – at least for a little while. He still hoped that Belle might be willing to take a long weekend over Christmas, but that was months away. How would he be able to get through not waking up with Belle and Bae there for breakfast every morning, or fall asleep without saying goodnight to them first?

"Are you okay?" Belle whispered into his ear once the drink cart had come and gone and Bae was settled with a bag of pretzels and a magazine they'd picked up at a newsstand.

"I'm fine," he said a little too fast – even he could hear how fake he sounded and didn't need to see the look on her face to know she wasn't going to let it go. "It's just going to be strange once we get back home is all."

"Everything will be like it was before," she promised. "We're not going anywhere. And he can sleep over as much as you want, too. We'll just have to make sure we're all on the same page with homework."

He knew she had a point, but somehow splitting custody between them was miles away from sharing custody. That's what he wanted, he realized. He wanted to share Bae with Belle. He wanted them to both be equal parents – regardless of his feelings for Belle, he wanted to be a family. Not partners, but a proper _family._

In hindsight, this trip might have been a mistake. He'd teased himself with everything he had never wanted to admit to wanting – Belle and Bae were vital to him, and he desperately wanted to be vital to them as well.

He smiled at her, hoping she would accept that she'd comforted him and leave him be. He just wanted to savor these final moments of happiness with his family. Belle, thankfully, made no move to leave him alone. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and hooked her arm through his. He closed his eyes and took a breath and for just that moment allowed himself the bliss of being loved even if it wasn't in the way he really wanted.

His home felt lonelier in the absence of Belle and Bae than it ever had before. Every little thing reminded him of them. The door to Bae's room was left open, taunting him with the warmth it possessed when Bae slept over. His table was where they sat and had brunch on Sundays. He didn't have enough memories of them here yet to comfort him through this.

Deciding to forgo unpacking for now, Gold stormed into his office. He threw open the cabinet where he had begun keeping the liquor since his child began staying over more often and pouring a glass of scotch.

It should have been harder to get drunk, it shouldn't come as naturally as breathing anymore. His life was a long string of abandonment. He'd never known his mother, barely known his father, lost a career, a country, and a wife. It shouldn't hurt so damn much to simply be away from two people he'd known for two months.

He knew intellectually that they would return. He could get in his car and drive over there and be welcomed into their home for the entire rest of the day, but it was so hard not to feel like he'd lost them forever when he was used to them being _here _and now they were _there. _They hadn't really left, they weren't ever his to begin with.

His eyes lit upon Bae's CPS file – the one thing of his son he had in the room, and a reminder of all the ways he'd failed him before they even met. Well, he wasn't particularly fond of anything in this room anyway.

His tumbler made an extremely satisfying noise as it shattered against the wall, followed by a paperweight and a jar. His papers were shoved off the desk into a heap he was sure he'd regret come morning, but the wanton destruction soothed his nerves. He even took out a lamp with his cane before sinking into a chair and sobbing into his hands.

He vaguely became aware of a gentle beep coming from the phone in his pocket. Fishing it out, he glanced at the screen. It was a text from Belle.

_Dinner tomorrow? ;-)_

Gold wanted to cry with relief. His room was destroyed, he was weak, but two words and a smiley face and suddenly the entire world was somehow better than it had been before.

_Of course,_ he texted back, before adding _anything you'd like me to bring? _As an afterthought.

_Hmmm...wine please._

He suppressed a grin at that. She hadn't been lying when she'd told him he was going to spoil her with better wine than she was used to, but he'd do anything to keep her spoiled if he could possibly manage it. If Belle wanted wine, Belle would have the very best he could offer – even if it was just to go with baked chicken and broccoli.

But before he got too far ahead of himself, he needed to unpack.


	24. Chapter 24

queueingtocomplain said:

Maybe for later in the adopted!verse, but Belle and Gold go to a parent's evening for Bae together, and everyone assumes that they're married.

Anonymous said:

Hi! I love your Adoption series and wanted to send you a prompt. I hope you can use it :) It's ok if you can't, I imagine you're sitting on dozens and dozens of ideas! Ok, prompt: Bae invites Gold to a parents event at his school and Gold discovers how hard Belle has had to work to give her son the best education she can. Or something along those lines...Love this story, thanks for sharing it! X

endangeredslug said:

Has someone prompted Gold attends his first parent teacher meeting yet?

Or parent's night at school. That's also when a lot of volunteer signups happen.

anonymousnerdgirl said:

Adoption!prompt: Belle introduces Gold to Frederick Knight and his wife Abigail. The four of them talk easily until Abigail remarks on what a good couple Belle and Gold are and invites them on a double date. The awkward moment is interrupted by Bae's boisterous argument with his teammate- a little blonde girl. (sorry it got long)

* * *

In the weeks since their return from family vacation, things had settled into a comforting sort of chaos that, while not exactly routine, was still a nice change. Bae was sleeping at either parent's house nearly interchangeably, which Arthur seemed wholly delighted by. Belle wasn't as enthused, but she did enjoy having a little bit of alone time for the first time in ages – at least at first.

Initially, she'd relished having some time to herself and chances to engage in long abandoned hobbies. She hadn't quite realized though how very few hobbies she had to begin with. Motherhood had so wholly consumed her life that it took until Bae had other things to do that Belle realized that she didn't. On the plus side, she was getting a lot more work done. Anton hardly knew what to do with himself when Belle was actually there all day every day. The office and the storefront had never been cleaner, and the books would have put any accountant to shame.

They were talking more about him buying in as a partner, too. Belle wasn't entirely sure how she'd afford it, but she was beginning to grow weary of the flower shop and if she was supposed to be part of a bigger family now she needed to have more free time. She'd have to redo her home budget. Maybe Arthur could help her pick some investments as well to make up the difference. Either way, it all boiled down to Belle's heart not being in her father's shop anymore. It was somewhere else.

She'd hoped whatever feelings for her son's father had developed over vacation would have cleared up once they were living in separate houses again, and it had definitely helped, but it hadn't solved the problem either. Belle had been surprised by the strength of her feelings toward Arthur. She wasn't used to feeling attraction to _anyone_, and this was all just so very new. A bit alarming, really. She'd dedicated herself to pretending like everything was okay, because everything had to be okay. There was just way too much at stake for her to develop feelings for her son's father.

She'd invited him to parents' night at Bae's school in mid-August. It was an annual event a week before school. Essentially, it was a volunteer drive, but it also doubled as a chance for the parents to meet the teachers and each other (and since the school provided free childcare for the event, it was one of Belle's favorite nights). For Arthur, it would be his official introduction to the school. He'd met a few of these parents at Bae's basketball games, but this was an entirely different beast. Here, he'd be expected to socialize and discuss the matters of raising a child fluently with people who had been parents for the last eleven years. She wasn't sure if she'd ever seen him more nervous, and she'd seen him the day he'd met his son.

"You'll be fine," she reminded him again, taking his arm and leading him into room 212B – Mrs. Blanchard-Nolan's fourth grade classroom. "It's not like anyone here will be waiting to judge you. And Mary Margaret's daughter is one of Bae's friends. It'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say," he huffed. "You actually have met these people before."

She rolled her eyes at him as they crossed the threshold into the classroom. It was a bright, cheerful room with an assortment of educational posters and bulletin boards bearing the names of all the children Bae would be sharing a room with this year. His teacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard-Nolan (and didn't they tease about that mouthful of a name?) was a pretty woman about Belle's age with black hair in a pixie cut.

"Belle," she gushed on seeing them walk in. "I'm so glad you made it! And this must be the father I've heard so much about!"

"Yes," Belle gestured between them as she spoke. "Mary Margaret, this is Bae's dad Arthur Gold. Arthur, this is Mary Margaret Blanchard-Nolan. She's Bae's teacher and her daughter Emma is one of his friends."

She could see his cheek twitch at her name but bless him, he kept it together.

"It's so good to meet you," Mary Margaret said earnestly, shaking his hand politely. "When I heard about the whole situation I was so excited for Bae. And for you, of course!"

Belle could practically feel Arthur relaxing at Mary Margaret's easy acceptance of him. She hoped it eased some of his worry about people judging him for only just now finding out about his child.

"It's been a busy summer," Arthur finally said. "But rewarding."

"I can't even imagine," Mary Margaret said cheerfully. "My husband, David, is around here someplace. He was dying to meet you. He's just desperate for another dad to volunteer, though."

She said the last part in a conspiratorial whisper that Belle could tell Arthur wasn't sure what to do with.

"By the way," Belle broke in. "You haven't told me how your trip was?"

"Oh, Florida was wonderful," Mary Margaret replied. "Dad's doing alright, but it's been hard on him since my mom died. Emma had a blast, though."

Belle nodded and gave Arthur's arm a gentle squeeze as Mary Margaret launched into a recap of the trip. Her mother had passed unexpectedly a few years earlier and her father had relocated afterward. It had been a bit of a touchy issue, with Mary Margaret not being sure her father was making the right choice, so she'd spent a significant portion of summer vacation living down there with Emma and her dad. David had been left largely to his own devices until he was able to fly down to join them for two weeks and collect his wife and child.

Fortunately, it was technically Mary Margaret's open house and soon enough she was called away to meet some other parents, leaving Belle and Arthur alone.

"She seemed nice," he begrudgingly admitted.

"She's very nice," Belle assured him. "And she's known Bae since preschool."

"It's a very tight knit group, isn't it?"

She shrugged.

"I suppose so, most of these kids have been together at least a few years. The town isn't that big."

He smiled and began scanning the room a little. Belle joined him, trying to see it as he had. He would, of course, recognize Michael Tillman who was talking to a handful of other dads – including David Blanchard-Nolan – in a corner. Belle hadn't spoken to him since their date, she realized. It was an odd realization, because in the past they had been the two third wheels of the classroom parents and as a result had been thrown together on more than a few occasions. She also suspected at least a few of the other mothers thought that they should get together just to even things out. It was awkward.

"Anyone else I should know?" Arthur asked her as she glanced around the room.

She hummed a little as she glanced around.

"Oh, that's someone!" she exclaimed as she saw Abigail and Frederick Knight entering the room.

She seized Arthur's arm, pulling him over to the couple. Unlike most everyone else here, Abigail and Fred didn't have children. Fred was the gym teacher and would be making the rounds to all the classes tonight, and Abigail was an attorney. More specifically, she was Belle's adoption attorney.

"Abigail!" Belle called to the other woman even as she was pulling Arthur over. "How have you been?"

The two women exchanged cheek kisses in greeting.

"Belle, it's been too long!" Abigail said, glancing over to Arthur. "And who's this?"

"This is Arthur Gold," Belle explained. "He's Bae's birth dad! Arthur, this is the gym coach Frederick Knight and Bae's attorney Abigail."

"My son has an attorney?" he said with an amused smirk.

"I handled the adoption," Abigail explained, shaking Arthur's hand. "And I was also his advocate in the custody dispute with your ex-wife."

There was something strange in Abigail's demeanor that Belle couldn't quite put her finger on, but luckily Fred jumped right in.

"So that sounds like an interesting story," he said with a smile on his face. "How'd that all go down?"

"Basically, my ex-wife didn't tell anyone he was my child," Arthur explained. "And it took me ten years to figure it out. So now we're making up for lost time."

"That's great," Fred replied. "Bae's a great kid. Star of a few of my teams."

"So I've heard, though I've only had a chance to see him at basketball."

"He's got real promise," Fred continued – boy did he know how to talk to dads. "But he's really dedicated, which in this age group is the most important thing."

"Oh God," Abigail said with an indulgent smile. "Come on, Belle, I can see exactly where this is going and I'm not going to interrupt the recruitment speech."

Fred chuckled and launched into a conversation about the developmental milestones in team sports as Abigail took Belle aside, pulling her into the hallway as soon as they were out of earshot of the men.

"Belle," she gasped. "What the hell is going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why didn't you tell me his bio dad was in the picture?"

"It didn't seem like a big deal."

Belle was so confused she wasn't sure what to say. Wasn't it a good thing that Bae's father wanted to be involved in his life?"

"Bio dad who never lost his parental rights trumps adopted mom every time, Belle," Abigail said. "He could get custody tomorrow if he asked for it."

Belle's blood ran cold as the import of Abigail's words worked its way into her brain.

"Tell me you at least have a custody agreement in place!"

"I...no," Belle admitted. "We've basically been swapping every day or two."

"Oh my God, Belle," Abigail had her face in her hands. "Do you know who that is? Aside from being Bae's legal parent, I mean?"

She liked to think she knew who Arthur was, but wasn't sure what Abigail meant so she simply shook her head.

"That is Arthur Gold. He used to be _the_ family law attorney in this part of the state. They called him _Rumpelstiltskin_ because he was so good at getting children."

"I don't know what you want me to say," Belle sounded calmer than she felt. Her stomach had fallen to her toes and she felt light-headed but somehow her voice was even. "I don't think he wants to take Bae away from me."

"Listen to me," Abigail said firmly. "You need to get him to agree to a legal custody agreement as of yesterday. I'm so, so serious."

"How do I do that?"

"He obviously likes you," the blonde said. "Use that. Do whatever you have to do. I don't care if you have to sleep with him first you do it."

The blood that had drained from Belle's head now rushed to her cheeks in a blush.

"That was hyperbole," Abigail said apologetically. "What I mean is, he obviously likes you. Use whatever he feels for you and get him to agree to you having some rights."

"I can't take advantage," she protested.

"It's not taking advantage," Abigail argued. "He's known all of this all along and he didn't tell you. I'm not even charging you for this advice, that's how serious I am that you've got to do this."

Belle's tongue felt heavy in her mouth and she couldn't swallow, but she nodded anyway. Somehow it hadn't ever occurred to her that she could lose her son in all of this. Why hadn't she called Abigail the moment Arthur arrived at her door? Because that would have put him on the defensive, that's why. He'd backed off and so had she.

Belle trusted him, though. He'd been nothing but good to her, and he'd had months in which to make his move and hadn't. But then, now that the idea was in her head she couldn't shake it. She somehow walked back into the classroom, even as she wanted to run into the gym, grab her son from whatever game he was playing with his friends, and escape with him. But she was too involved now to leave, and a part of her didn't want to.

The fact remained, though, that Arthur had lied to her. Not that he'd ever told her a falsehood, but he'd lied by omission. If what Abigail said was correct (and Belle had no reason to doubt it was) then he'd known all along that he could take her son away from her at any moment, and he'd had the ability to do so the entire time. He hadn't. He could have. Why hadn't he told her?


	25. Chapter 25

accio-firewhiskey said:

Adopt prompt: Belle is shocked and strangely attracted but also wary upon finding out Gold has a law degree

Tinuviel-undomiel said:

Something I thought of for you your Adoption verse, even if Belle and Gold get along, won't they still need to go to court so Gold can be formally recognized as Bae's father?

* * *

Fred Knight could talk about the importance of physical education to a child's development longer and in more depth than any man Gold had ever met. He had heard all about fine motor skills and gross motor skills and attention spans since Belle had left. Abigail had been right, it was a recruitment speech. He'd made the mistake of mentioning that he used to be a footballer and now Fred was explaining how they had need of a second soccer coach.

"It's a pretty simple job," Fred explained. "David Blanchard-Nolan already coaches, and he's great with the kids, but strategy isn't exactly his strong suit."

"I could help with that," Gold conceded. "But I'm afraid I may not be up to the activity level."

He tapped his leg with his cane and Fred glanced down quickly with no sign of awkwardness.

"Oh, that's not a problem," he continued. "David can do all the drills. In fact, hold on, he's right over there."

Fred waved over Gold's shoulder to a tall blond man standing in a group with a few other parents. The man who must be David nodded and jogged over to join them.

"Hey," he said cheerfully. "What's up?"

"David, this is Arthur Gold," Fred introduced them. "He's Bailey's dad. Arthur, this is David. His daughter Emma is on Bae's soccer team."

"Great to meet you," David said, extending a hand to Gold who shook it. "Bae's a great kid."

"I was just talking to Arthur about helping out with the team this year," Fred said. "He used to play semi-pro in Scotland."

"Really?" David's eyes got larger at the news. "That would be great. I could always use more help."

"It's been a few years since I played," Gold demurred. "But I'll think about it."

It would be nice to spend more time with his son, and he wanted desperately to be more involved with Bae's school and the community. It was definitely an idea worth considering, at least. He was saved from the hard sell by the return of Abigail and Belle.

"Are you too bullying him into coaching?" Abigail said teasingly, draping her arms around her husband affectionately. "Don't let them push you around, he thinks everyone should volunteer."

"No, no," he assured her. "He's actually making a very persuasive argument. I'm seriously considering it."

He glanced to Belle, who was giving him a funny look but had returned to his side. If they had been alone, he'd have asked her if something was wrong but standing amidst a group of strangers seemed like neither the time or the place.

"I should really be heading to the other classrooms anyway," Fred said apologetically. "It's been great meeting you, Arthur. We should all get together sometime outside of school."

It took a moment to register Fred's meaning, but Abigail quickly interfered.

"Oh, honey," she said softly. "They're not together."

Fred glanced back and forth between Arthur and Belle quickly, comprehension dawning on his face.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "You're just...well, never mind. My mistake."

"Come on," Abigail said with a smile. "There are other dads for you to work on. It was nice seeing you again, Belle."

The two made their retreat, down the hall to another classroom, leaving Belle and Arthur with David.

"So, David," Belle said sweetly. "How was Florida?"

The other man launched into a description of the trip. He was being polite in front of a stranger, but he got the feeling there was more to it than he was letting on. "Finally, though, David excused himself to Gold's promise that he would definitely consider helping with the team.

"David's a good guy," Belle said idly after the other man had left. "He's good with the kids...and very honest."

That seemed like a strange thing for her to mention, but he didn't want to push it.

"Are you alright?" he asked her finally.

"I'm fine," she sighed. "Just tired."

"We can go," he offered. "I've apparently been assigned a job for the school year anyway and I met his teacher. What else is there?"

"Not a lot," she admitted. "I'm already one of the room mom's myself so I won't be doing any extra volunteering."

He made a mental note to figure out what a _room mom_ was later. There was so much to learn about all this.

"Let's get Bae and go home," he said finally. "If you're really ready to go, I mean."

Belle glanced around before turning towards him.

"You know, I think I am."

The kids were being kept in the gym under the watchful eyes of a handful of parent volunteers. They had set out a pile of balls and various other things for the kids to use to amuse themselves with. It took a few minutes for Gold to identify his child in the mass of eleven-year-olds playing what seemed to be the least organized game of dodge ball in the world, but eventually he spotted Bae in the corner of the gym with a little blonde girl.

Part of him felt a swell of paternal pride that his son was talking to a pretty girl, but at the same time given his own love life (or decade long lack thereof), that probably wasn't something he could really take credit for.

"Oh lord," Belle muttered, hurrying over to where Bae stood.

Confused, Arthur followed her. It wasn't until they got within earshot that he realized her distress was because Bae and the girl were arguing loudly.

"You were tagged out, Emma!" Bae insisted. "It hit you!"

"You're a liar," Emma said in a huff. "It didn't touch me. You're lying!"

"I'm not a liar!"

"Prove it!"

Bae and the girl seemed on the verge of coming to blows when Belle arrived and put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Can't you two have one conversation that doesn't end like this?" she said with a grimace.

"She started it," Bae supplied.

"Did not," Emma replied.

"Did too."

"I don't care," Belle interrupted. "It makes absolutely no difference to me who started what. But you shouldn't call each other names."

Bae and Emma looked at each other as though it hadn't occurred to either one that there was anything wrong with what they had been doing, though he was sure Belle had probably had this conversation with them on numerous occasions.

"Why not?" Emma finally said. Bae seemed equally confused.

"Because it's not nice," Belle replied. "Anyway, Bae, your dad and I are leaving early."

Both children let out matching whines, Emma lamenting who she'd play with now and Bae not wanting to leave early. Belle directed Emma towards a little redheaded boy named August and informed Bae that if he truly wanted to see Emma that badly they could arrange for her to come over that weekend.

Something still felt off about Belle, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was as they said their goodbyes and he watched them drive off.

Belle was scarcely able to sleep that night. Arthur had lied to her – well, he'd hidden the truth which was basically the same. He could have told her! She'd never doubted him before and even when she'd barely known him she'd always trusted him. Knowing that he hadn't extended her the same courtesy was what was killing her. As soon as it was reasonably polite, she called Mary Margaret to ask the other woman if she'd mind watching Bae. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) Emma had been on a tear that morning and Mary Margaret was more than happy with anything that would hopefully distract her daughter from the swath of destruction that she'd been creating in the house.

After dropping her son off for the playdate, Belle wasn't sure what her plan was but wasn't surprised at all when she found herself outside of Arthur's house. She knew she should stop and think this through, but even as she was knocking on his door no plan was forming. His face lit up at the sight of her, and that more than anything told her what to do.

"You bastard!" she shouted, storming past him into the house.

He was stunned, backing away and only barely seeming to remember to shut the door after her.

"Were you ever planning on telling me?" she continued as his mouth opened and closed as though he couldn't quite figure out what he wanted to say.

"Belle..." he finally forced out in a strangled sounding voice. "What's going on?"

"Abigail!" she shouted. "Were you planning on ever telling me that my adoption is invalid, _Rumpelstiltskin?_"

She practically snarled the last word and felt just a little bit vindicated when he visibly paled.

"What did she tell you?" he said in a tight voice.

"That you're apparently some terrifying family law attorney," she ranted. "And apparently I'm not Bae's legal guardian. Oh and also that I should use your feelings for me to get you to agree to me having custody."

She deflated now that she'd gotten it out, leaning against the wall.

"Is that all?" he said.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged.

"And say what, exactly?" he finally replied with a challenge in his voice. "I wasn't going to make any moves against you and I told you that. When I have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?"

"This!" she heard her voice squeak. "This is a reason not to trust you."

"So it is," he said with a sigh. "What difference does it make now?"

"I'm not his mother anymore!" she said through the tears she hadn't known were coming. "You showed up and now I'm not his mother."

"You're always his mother," he replied with a shocked expression on his face. "You'll never stop being his mother, even if I had taken custody. You _know_ that, Belle."

He looked like he was going to hug her if she'd let him, but she wasn't sure that she could handle that at the moment.

"If I were one of your clients," she said suddenly. "What would you tell me to do?"

"If you were..." he sighed. "Probably what she did. Use my...affection for you to get me to agree to a formal custody agreement. Though I might have thrown in something about not storming into my house and yelling at me."

He said the last bit with a shy little half smile that broke her heart.

"And would that have worked? Aside from the yelling, I mean."

He didn't answer her right away, instead looking anywhere but at her as his fingers twitched against his cane.

"Yes," he said finally. "It would have. I'd do anything for you, Belle. You know that."

_Oh._

She was going to pretend like she didn't understand what he'd meant by that, and he seemed content to pretend like he hadn't meant it. It was too much right now, and the only way she could handle the rest of it was if she didn't think about _that_.

"We need a custody agreement, don't we?" she said at last, conveniently sidestepping the uncomfortable truth.

"We do."

"So how does that work?"

"You'll need to contact your attorney," he said slowly, sounding tired. "And I'll get in touch with my own. You're going to need to go through the adoption again, I'm afraid."

"Can I just adopt him without you giving up rights"

He shrugged.

"It's...not exactly common but I don't see why not, if I consent to it," he glanced up to her. "And I will, of course. You're always his mother, Belle. I wouldn't take him from you."

"I know," she replied. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's no matter," he said flippantly. "I should have been honest to begin with."

"Why weren't you?"

"What would you have said if I had been, back then?"

Belle thought about it for a second. She'd have panicked, of course. And then what? Probably circled her wagons and hoped for the best.

"You still should have said something later."

"I should have," he admitted. "There was just never a good time."

She took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling and letting the anger dissipate.

"I understand," she said finally. "I wouldn't have then, but I think I do now."


	26. Chapter 26

accio-firewhiskey said:

Adopt prompt: Belle tries on a ring in Gold's shop

Anonymous said:

Gold wants to give Bae some sort of very expensive gift for his birthday. Or Christmas if Bae's birthday isn't before then.

* * *

Gold was almost relieved that Belle knew the truth about his former career now. It wasn't something he'd ever truly meant to keep a secret, there had just never been a good time to tell her. It had gotten out of hand and he was just happy to have it out in the open. The other thing, perhaps, he was less enthused about her knowing. Or did she know? He'd never come out and said it, after all, and neither one had said anything about it afterward. Maybe in the stress of it all she'd forgotten or hadn't noticed. Was it possible that he was that lucky?

It had been a few weeks since the parent's night, school had started, and Bae's birthday was rapidly approaching. Attorneys had been contacted and there was paperwork to be done. Thankfully, with both parents in agreement on everything this was pretty straight forward, but it always took time when lawyers had to be involved – which was one of the reasons he had gotten out of the game in the first place. The other reason (which was far more painful to think of) was that after Milah left and then he lost his second chance at a family with Cora his heart just wasn't in it anymore. Watching families fall apart had taken too much out of him and he'd had to stop while he still could. The real estate investments were making enough by then that he hadn't needed the income anyway, so he had purchased a pawn shop and quit his day job. A pawn shop that Belle was currently standing in idly poking around in a jewelry case and waiting for him to finish up writing out a receipt for a watch before they could discuss Bae's birthday.

As his customer was finally out the door, he turned towards the case she had been fiddling in to see she had pulled out about half the contents out and was now wearing them. She flashed an innocent smile as he took in the necklaces she had draped around her neck and dangled over her hair like tiaras, as well as the bracelets lining her arms and the numerous rings on her fingers. He was stunned, but doubted it was in the way she anticipated. This seemed to have been intended as a prank, but she looked like a pagan princess and he was struck by the urge to fall at her feet. Instead, he decided to pretend he hadn't noticed, coming to stand next to her at the case.

"So," he said as casually as possible. "What do you usually do for his birthday?"

"We'll have some of his friends over," she explained, pulling a beautiful antique opal ring out of the case and sliding it onto her right hand ring finger. "Just a pizza and cake party, really. Probably some movies and then they'll go outside and destroy my yard with Nerf guns. He's eleven, that's what they do."

"And during all this, you'll be doing what?"

"Herding them from room to room, feeding them, and looking forward to when they all go home and I can have a drink and a bath."

"Which means that I'll be..."

"Doing exactly the same thing as me," she said with a sly grin (presumably not realizing she'd just implied he would be taking a bath with her). "Aren't you glad you're a dad now?"

Well, yes he was but when she put it like _that_ it certainly sounded ominous.

"How about presents?" he said instead of answering her question. "What are you getting him?"

"There will be presents," she assured him. "His friends will all bring one each and I was planning to talk with you before I got him anything to make sure we didn't accidentally duplicate."

He thought for a few moments.

"I was thinking maybe a laptop," he said.

A handful of bracelets she'd been toying with clattered onto the glass top of the display case and Belle nervously snatched them back.

"Unless," he continued. "You think that's a bad idea."

"No, no," she didn't look at him, just kept rearranging the bracelets. "I think that he would really like that, actually."

She was upset, but he wasn't sure why and he wasn't sure how to ask her, either.

"So what are you getting him?" he asked, hoping to redirect the conversation someplace safer.

"Just some games," she said with a shrug. "Nothing special."

He felt himself wince at the change in her tone, but he wasn't sure what else to say to her.

"Anyway," she was changing the topic and her voice reflected that. "I didn't just come to talk about his birthday."

"Oh yes," he replied. "The papers."

His attorney, Regina, had drawn up a custody agreement for Belle to go over. Basically it was laying down the arrangement that they had already been practicing – Bae would live with his mother during the week of the school year and his father on the weekends. Holidays would be alternated, and during the summer there would be two week blocks switched between the two of them. Nobody had any real plans for this to be followed to the letter, but this had to be filed after Belle's adoption went through. He'd already taken a paternity test, so at this point it was simply a matter of filing all the correct paperwork and getting everything rubber stamped by the judge.

He fetched the custody papers from the desk in his office, and by the time he'd returned Belle had shed half of her jewelry, laying it neatly on the counter as she pulled pieces off. Frankly, she could have walked out with it still on if it would have put a smile back on her face. He didn't give a damn about the pieces themselves – just about her.

"Here it is," he said as he handed the packet to her. "You'll probably want Abigail to look over that before you sign it, just to be safe."

She took a deep breath and looked at him for a long time, searching his face for something. He started putting away her pile of jewelry as she studied him just to have something to do with his hands. Seeming to like what she saw, she reached over and grabbed a pen, initialing a few places where Regina had indicated and finally signing the last page before handing it back to him.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said softly. "This could say literally anything, Belle."

"I trust you," she replied. "This doesn't work if we don't trust each other."

"You're right," he agreed. "But you still shouldn't sign something without reading it first, at least."

"Is there anything in there I didn't want?"

"No," he admitted. "It's exactly what we talked about."

"Then I trust you."

"Fine," he sighed. "But please don't do that again."

"I'll keep it in mind next time we have a child together," she said flippantly as she continued pulling off rings.

He had been putting away a necklace as she said that, but the comment itself and all that it implied startled him so badly he ended up knocking over the display he had been working on as well as the two next to it.

"Please do," he choked out, hurriedly righting the case. The image of Belle carrying his child had seared itself into his brain and he was having trouble functioning now that it was there. Belle with her hand on her growing belly. Belle letting him feel as the child kicked the first time. Belle picking out baby names. Belle holding their baby for the first time. Oh God, _getting_ Belle pregnant.

"Oh damn," she muttered and he looked up at her for the first time. "This one's stuck."

She was pulling on the opal ring he'd watched her slide on earlier.

"Let me see," he said gently, and she held her hand out to him. "Is it uncomfortable?"

"No," she said after a minute. "I don't think so."

He wiggled the ring on her finger. There was room, she wasn't in any danger of losing circulation, it was just caught on her knuckle.

"Why don't you just keep it?" he finally replied.

"I couldn't," she blurted out. "It's too much. I just need to get it off, is all."

"It's not too much."

"Then how much is it?" she challenged.

He looked down to her hand (which he just realized he was still holding). That particular piece was an art deco design from the 20s in white gold, with a large central stone surrounded by a circle of small pearls and two larger pieces of white jade on the top and bottom. There was some lacquer the same blue as her eyes inlaid on the band in a geometric pattern. The craftsmanship was incredible, and it was worth about seven-hundred dollars. There was absolutely no way he could tell her that.

"I could probably get a couple hundred dollars for it," he fibbed. "It's not a big deal."

"It _is_ a big deal," she insisted, pulling on the ring again until the skin of her finger was red and irritated.

"It's really not," he insisted, grabbing her hand back to stop her from hurting herself. "For one thing, if you're going to do that then I have a jar of lubricant specifically for getting rings off, but honestly I want you to have it."

"It doesn't fit," she whimpered a little and he could see tears coming up in her eyes.

"If it's hurting you I'll get the jar and we can take it off," he said softly. "And then I can resize it and you can have it."

It was strange how badly he wanted her to have it, now that he'd thought of it. He needed Belle to have this ring.

"It doesn't hurt," she replied. "I can barely feel it."

"Then why don't you want it?"

"It's just...it's too much," she said. "You give us too much. You give me too much. I can't take it."

She was still wearing a necklace on her head with the charm resting between her eyes and he could barely focus on what she was saying from the beauty of it.

"So?" he finally said. "Why does it bother you? What's the difference between the ring and the trip and the game system I bought him when we met?"

"The trip was for Bae," she bristled a little. "And so was the game. This is for me, and we're not...you don't owe me things."

"The trip was for both of you," he replied. He was actually a little stunned, he hadn't realized she felt that way about it. "And if you want to get technical, this is ultimately Bae's anyway – whether I keep it or you take it."

"You're twisting the facts."

"Not really," he replied. "What other heirs do you think I _have?_ Either Bae gets the few hundred dollars from this ring, or he gets one more ring in the inventory. Or you take it and he gets his mother's ring to give to his wife or daughter. Which do you think is really more valuable?"

"What about what you would do with the money?"

"What do you imagine I do with myself and my money?" he asked her earnestly, this was something he'd wondered about for awhile. "What am I possibly spending it on that isn't you or Bae? Everything I have or ever will have is going to go to one or both of you. Everything."

She didn't reply, and she was still staring him down, but she didn't look as upset now so he knew he was making headway at least.

"You still shouldn't give it to me," she said softly. "This is the kind of ring you give to a wife or girlfriend. I'm neither of those things."

"So I'm giving it to the mother of my child instead," he said with a shrug. "I don't _have_ a wife or a girlfriend, Belle, and I don't know that I'll ever have one again. I have you and that's enough. This is enough."

He could see the moment she decided to believe him, her shoulders sagging a little as she nodded.

"Alright," she said with a smile. "But only for Bae."

"Only for Bae," he agreed, but his heart wasn't really in it. He wanted her to smile at him again like she had at the pier when he'd given her the bracelet. "But if you want to keep the necklace, I'm going to have to insist you pay for that."

He said the last bit with a teasing lilt to his voice that did get her to smile as she reached up and untangled the chain from her hair.

"I'd forgotten about that one," she confessed as he put it away. "I always used to play with my mother's jewelry like that when I was a girl. I'd cover myself in it and pretend to be a princess."

"I'm sure you were lovely," he said and he meant it. She would have been beautiful. Her daughter would be beautiful, too, if she'd had one.

"I looked ridiculous," she admitted. "But it was fun."

"You're welcome to play dress-up in the shop anytime."

"Careful," she giggled. "You may never get rid of me."

Well that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, now was it? But he couldn't admit to that so instead he smiled and inclined his head to her.

"Anyway," she said as she gathered her purse. "I should go get Bae. Practice should be over soon, thank goodness. Thank you for the ring, Arthur."

"You're very welcome," he answered her as she stepped out the door into the street on her way to gather their son, leaving him alone with his money.

He had some calls to make.


	27. Chapter 27

truerumbelle said:

Adoption!verse prompt. Can we have a reversal now? Arthur runs into a former co-worker that he has a friendly (just friendly) relationship with. Maybe someone who supported Arthur as a friend through his breakup with Milah, and the discovery of Bae. The affection they show each other leaves Belle a bit jealous.

* * *

As awkward as it felt to be going to court with (not against, and she needed to remember that – they were in full agreement on everything) a man she considered to be her best friend, a part of Belle was glad that it would soon be over. It had always been in the back of her mind that this could come, and being able to handle it amicably was such a relief that even the presence of two attorneys couldn't sour her mood – although perhaps one of the attorneys could.

No, that wasn't fair. Regina Mills had done nothing to Belle. In fact, the taller woman had been unfailingly polite. Regina was the consummate professional with her, and damn close to friendly with Abigail. Unfortunately, she was _very_ friendly with Arthur. Belle had asked him once (as casually as she could) how he'd met Regina. She'd interned for him in law school, and afterward he had apparently sought her out, taken her under his wing, and generally groomed her as his successor. There was – if not affection between them then there was certainly respect and camaraderie. It was the kind of relationship Belle had never known him to have with anyone, and closer than she'd seen him be with anyone but herself and Bae.

The jealousy was a new sensation for Belle. She'd been jealous of things before, of course, but never people really. Her ex, George, had been the sort to attract a lot of female attention but for some reason it hadn't really bothered her. She hadn't had any reason to suspect him of wandering, and if he had she'd never felt like he was an integral part of her life no matter how serious they'd ben. Being jealous of Arthur (and for such a silly reason) was extremely uncomfortable for her, especially given that he and Regina had a purely professional relationship and he and Belle weren't together by her own choice – so what right did she even have to feel this way?

Arthur and Regina were speaking in low tones when Belle and Abigail approached them, only breaking apart when they were within a few feet of each other. Arthur looked pleased with himself, and Regina looked inscrutable. Belle wasn't really sure what was going on, but she wasn't really comfortable with it.

"Good morning," Abigail greeted the two.

"Indeed," Regina replied with a shark-like smile. "Any time I'm getting paid for everyone to agree is a very good day."

Abigail and Arthur both chuckled, and Belle felt like the odd man out for not understanding the joke. Well, no, she understood it, she just lacked a cultural reference point for why it was funny. This was a little like being a tourist in a foreign country where she knew the language but had no idea of the culture. It made her feel small.

Eventually, Arthur's eyes landed on her sullen face and he cleared his throat.

"Shall we?" he said finally, gesturing towards the office where they would be going over final documents in preparation for Belle's appearance before a judge in order to adopt Bae again. It had been a stressful few weeks.

Regina and Abigail preceded Belle into the room, and as she walked in she felt Arthur's hand hovering at the small of her back but never actually touching her. Something about the heat of his body seeping into her skin propped her up a little bit, though, and she was glad for it. She could do this, they were so close to having all the complications worked out at which point she could deal with the rest of this far more easily.

"Alright," Regina said, suddenly all business. "The custody agreement I drafted has been signed by both parties, so we've only got a few more details to work out."

Abigail shot Belle a look, she hadn't been happy on finding out her client had signed the agreement without reading it first – thought she'd begrudgingly admitted (after reading her own copy) that it had contained exactly what Arthur said it did.

"As far as I know," Abigail interjected. "The only thing remaining to discuss is my client's new adoption."

"That," Regina said calmly, "and the child support."

Belle startled a little bit, looking over to Arthur. He had a reassuring look on his face, but she was suspicious. They'd never talked about this before.

"I assume you have a proposal?" Abigail said smoothly, Belle had known the other woman long enough to know that she didn't like surprises and especially not ones that took place in a meeting.

"Of course," Regina replied as she slid some papers across the table towards them. "I'm sure you'll find it's quite generous."

Belle leaned over to read the paper as Abigail did. Most of the legalese was beyond her, but she certainly knew that she was the Plaintiff and he was the Defendant, and that he was basically proposing to double her annual income out of his own pocket.

"What is this?" Belle blurted out.

"It's far more than you'd get from a court order," Regina replied, turning towards Abigail. "Which your attorney will tell you, I'm sure."

"Give us a minute," Abigail answered, leaning to whisper into Belle's ear. "She's right though, in this state you'd probably get about eight-hundred dollars plus the cost of child care and health insurance."

"I don't need his money," Belle replied sharply, affronted that anyone was suggesting such a thing. "Any of it. And certainly not this much."

"Belle," Arthur said from his side of the table. "Just think about it, please?"

"No!" she exclaimed, clenching her hands under the table and feeling the opal ring he'd given her dig into her skin. She had half a mind to rip it off and throw it at him. "We've talked about this, Arthur. And my mind hasn't changed!"

Arthur sighed, turning to Regina and Abigail finally.

"Can we take a break?" he asked.

"Good idea," Belle replied grabbing her purse.

"I meant, I'd like them to leave so we can talk."

Regina raised her eyebrows at Abigail and Belle was fighting the urge to slap the look off her face. Regina was beauty polished to a fine point, and Belle suddenly felt small and poor and frumpy.

"Belle," Abigail said, pulling her aside for a minute. "We've known each other a very long time and you know I love the both of you, but you need to seriously think about why you're turning this down and whether it's really in your best interests."

She nodded as the other women left, leaving her alone with her son's father.

"What was that all about?" she said to him as soon as they were alone. "How dare you spring that on me this way?"

"How dare I?" he parroted her. "How dare I what? I am offering you help...for both of you, not just Bae."

"I don't need your charity," she fumed. "We got along just fine without you."

"It's not charity, Belle," he replied. "It's child support. And I never said you didn't get along fine without me."

"Then why are you trying to give us this money?"

"Because he's my son," he said incredulously. "Because he's my son and I want to help him. Just because you _can_ support him by yourself doesn't mean you have to, Belle."

"We don't need your money," she insisted. "What you're doing is just to make yourself feel better, not me."

"I'm not doing it so that anyone feels better," he said as calmly as she'd ever heard him. "I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do."

She was livid. She knew it was unreasonable, she knew he had a point, and she knew (though she'd never admit it) that she could use the money. A child was expensive, it would give her the ability to work less, it would let her do more for her son, it would do so many things. She couldn't help her pride, though.

Belle had done her best for Bae. She had opened her home to him, she'd opened her heart to him. She'd sacrificed dreams and grad school and countless nights of sleep assuring that he would have the very best she could provide. To have this man who had never had to give up a god damn thing for him come along and act like he could have done better...

"He's my son!" she shouted, slamming her hand on the table finally. "He's mine and I raised him."

He was dumbstruck at her comment, staring at her as though she had grown a second head.

"I did everything I could for Bae," she continued. "He has always had everything he needed. He's been loved and protected his whole life. _I_ did that. I was up with him when he couldn't sleep, I nursed him through every fever. I did the best I could do with what I had and you can't take that away from me. You can't buy him away from me."

She didn't realize she was crying until she was done, but her face was hot and wet from tears and he was clenching and unclenching his hands on the table as he stared at her. She felt empty now that she'd finally said it. She'd been bottling this up for months, hating herself for even thinking it.

"He is still my son, too, Belle," he said finally, his voice hard. She wasn't afraid of that anger, though. Never afraid. "He's my son and I will see him taken care of."

"He's always been taken care of," she shot back. "And I never needed help to do it."

"Well you have help now," he replied angrily as he stood and came around the table to stand next to her. "Whether you want it or not. I have a claim to his well-being too, Belle."

She bristled at his tone, backing away from him so she could look him in the eye again.

Belle wanted to be angry at him, but he was right. Damn it all to hell, he was right.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, relaxing her shoulders by sheer force of will. "I know he's yours, too. I know you didn't lose him on purpose, and I know you would have been there. I do, really. But that almost makes it worse."

"What do you mean?"

"If you were evil, then I'd be the clear winner here," she said, hating the tremor in her voice at this little insecurity she'd barely even admit to herself. "But you're not. It's like a fairy tale for him, isn't it? The little prince destined for greater things than his peasant mother."

"Oh Belle," he said with a sad little smile that shattered her heart into a million tiny pieces.

She wasn't sure if she fell into his arms or if he grabbed her to him, but the next thing she was aware of was his arms wrapped tight around her as she sobbed into his chest.

"He loves you, Belle," Arthur whispered into her hair. "He loves you more than anything. I can't compete with that, and I won't even try."

"I know," she whimpered. "I know you won't."

"Bae will never have another mother," he promised her. "He will never love someone as much as he loves you. You've done such a good job with him, Belle, I can't believe how lucky he's been."

He shushed her as she cried, whispering little words of nonsense as she sobbed until her face was hot and sticky and she had no more tears to cry.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Belle finally mumbled into his soggy coat.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you about it before," he said softly. "It wouldn't have changed my mind, but I still should have warned you."

She shook her head a little and pulled away from him to wipe her face.

"If you had it would have only meant we'd have had this fight sooner," she admitted. "I was going to react badly no matter what."

"Will you accept the child support at least?"

He sounded close to begging her, and as much as it stung her pride she knew that Bae deserved a mother who could spend more time with him, a mother who wasn't always juggling things, and a mother who wasn't constantly distracted by the knowledge that at any moment it could all come crashing down around her.

"I don't have to be happy about it," she warned. "You owe me nothing, Arthur. You really don't."

"If Milah had kept him," he said idly. "How much do you think I'd have paid for her to care for Bae? Alimony plus child support, after all. Not that I'd have expected her to be able to provide the same level of care as you did, mind. Even at her best I don't think she'd have been capable of it."

"That's different," she interrupted, though she couldn't have explained how it was different.

"I'd have happily done it," he continued. "I'd have happily paid any amount of money to make sure my son had whatever he needed. Even if he were living with a woman I hated more than anything in the world, I'd still have done whatever it took to make sure they had a comfortable life. Why would you expect me to want to do anything less for you?"

"Alright," she said finally. "Call the lawyers back, I'll take it. But you have to get something, too."

"I already do," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead softly. "I know he's been loved. That's all I needed. All I ever needed."

They were both quiet a long moment, and if he was waiting for an answer he didn't get it. Instead, he stepped backwards, opening the door and calling the other two women back in. They were clearly in the middle of a conversation, laughing at some joke Belle didn't know and would never hear. They both saw her puffy red eyes, but both were polite enough not to stare. Abigail mouthed _are you okay? _As she sat, accepting Belle's nod as an answer.

"So," Regina said finally. "I take it you've worked out the child support issue?"

"We've come to an agreement, yes," Gold answered, glancing towards Belle.

"We have," Belle replied. "I'm going to sign."

"Excellent," Regina replied. "So that just leaves the adoption paperwork and this can all be filed with the court."

"Indeed," Abigail said, shooting a glance towards Belle as she passed the paper across the table. "Although hopefully this will be a little more straight forward."

Arthur looked at the paper, before his face went slack and he turned towards Belle with a question brewing behind his dark eyes.

"_Bailey Neal Gold-French_?" Regina read out loud. "I didn't know you'd planned on changing his name."

"It was supposed to be a surprise," Belle admitted to the room as she turned to Arthur. "Bae and I were talking about it, and we thought that since we had to go through all this again that we might as well make all of us a family in name, too."

She knew he wanted to hug her again, but he managed to hold it together as he signed the paperwork that would put his name on their son. This was all he wanted, she realized. To be a part of their lives and to have a right to be there. She could give him that, at least, if nothing else.


	28. Chapter 28

shipperqueen93 said: Adoption Verse Prompt!: Millah and Killian are back in town and come across Gold and Bae (possibly Belle too) out having bonding time.

In the end, Arthur decided on a shopping trip for Bae rather than a proper birthday present. Belle wasn't sure if it was just a reaction to her discomfort or if he'd changed his mind, but she didn't think anyone would deny that a toy store shopping spree was a lot more fun for both father and son.

At least he'd had enough foresight to invite her along on this trip to ensure Bae didn't come home with a trombone or perhaps a puppy. As much as she adored Arthur, there were just some things she didn't think she's ever be able to trust him with and this was one of them.

"What about this?" Bae asked, holding up a very large LEGO pirate ship play set.

Arthur glanced over to Belle who nodded quickly.

"I think that looks like a great idea," Arthur said cheerfully.

Belle was sure that Bae must have caught on to their little scheme, but he was at least keeping up the charade that Arthur was the one who was in charge of toy selection. Things were really beginning to come together for them as a family.

After present shopping was completed, they retreated to a cafe for lunch. Bae was excitedly discussing his purchases, pulling different things out to inform his father and mother of the different features of each new toy. He'd gotten a pretty decent haul, all things considered. Belle was a little loathe to consider what Christmas was going to look like with Arthur, and next year she would probably put her foot down and insist on a limit to the presents but this year she'd let him spoil his son. They both really deserved it.

As Bae babbled, she felt a strange sensation, a tickling in the back of her neck. She was being watched, she realized. She glanced over to Arthur to see if he'd felt it, too. He was also alert, looking around subtly as Bae talked. She followed his lead, scanning the room for the threat. She felt Arthur stiffen next to her and looked back at him. He was staring intently to her left and she followed his gaze.

There was a completely nondescript couple sitting there, completely unremarkable except in that the woman was watching her son in a way that set Belle on edge. As she watched them, things began to trigger her memory. Something about the pair was eerily familiar, but she was having a hard time placing the brunette woman and her companion. It wasn't until the stranger's eyes moved over to her and Arthur that Belle realized who it was. It wasn't a stranger: it was Milah.

Belle's blood ran cold at the sight of a woman she last saw at the hearing to revoke her parental rights. Arthur and Milah were staring at each other like cats who'd wandered into the same yard, and even Bae had stopped his chatter to look questioningly at his parents.

"Mom? Dad?" the boy asked. "Is everything okay?"

Everything was most definitely _not_ okay, but Belle could hardly tell her son that. It had been over six years since Bae had seen his birth mother, and Belle wasn't even sure if he'd recognize her anymore. Either way, if a confrontation with Milah was unavoidable then it was definitely something Belle didn't want to have happen in a coffee shop. At the same time, she didn't want to leave a public place.

"Everything's fine, honey," Belle said finally, deciding to redirect him. "So which game do you think is going to be your favorite?"

Bae launched into an explanation of the two video games he'd bought, but she could tell his heart wasn't in it. Her son was clever and he knew something was wrong. Belle was proud of him even as she wished he was just a little younger and a little easier to lie to. She wouldn't be able to protect him for much longer.

"Don't you have a restraining order against her?" Arthur whispered warmly into her hair.

She nodded, smiling at Bae and forcing herself to be interested in anything but the woman who wasn't supposed to be here.

She was hyper aware of her surroundings as Arthur excused himself to the restroom, returning a few moments later slightly more relaxed than before. Once they paid the check and he led them outside, she realized why. There was a police cruiser parked outside the front of the restaurant as they exited. In the end, his precautions had been unnecessary. Neither Milah nor Killian followed them into the street, and no cars followed them home in Gold's Cadillac.

Once they were home, Bae ran up to his room to try out his new games leaving Belle and Arthur to have the uncomfortable talk in the kitchen.

"Weren't they supposed to tell me when she got out of jail?" Belle sputtered, pulling a bottle of wine out and pouring both of them a glass. "Nobody told me anything!"

"You should have gotten a postcard," he said dejectedly.

"Oh, lovely!" she exclaimed. "A little card to tell me my son's chances of getting kidnapped just skyrocketed. How considerate of them."

"I never said it made sense," he replied. "And we're not going to let anything happen to him."

"I know," she said finally, sitting down in a huff. "She can have him over my dead body."

"It's not going to come to that," he said, staring at her intently. "It will absolutely _not_ come to that."

"I'm not going to let her have my son!"

"And I'm telling you," he sounded almost angry now. "That she's not going to get that far. I will not let them near either of you if I have to hire you a team of body guards."

Belle didn't answer him – she _couldn't_ answer him. She knew that he'd try to protect her and she knew he'd die to protect their son; just like she would. It was strangely comforting to know that she didn't have to face this alone, she had another parent to protect her son and a partner to help her do it.

"This may be overstepping," she said finally. "But I need a favor – do you mind sleeping here tonight?"

He blanched at her request, swallowing hard and she felt compelled to continue.

"I just think I'd feel better about everything if we weren't alone tonight," she explained. "Just...safer."

His shoulders sagged at the word _safer_, and he smiled softly at her.

"Of course I'll stay," he said. "I'll have to go home for a bit to grab a change of clothes, but I'll stay. As long as you want."

"Thank you," she replied. "That means a lot to me."

"This is definitely something you don't have to thank me for," he said decisively, kissing the top of her head comfortingly. "He's my son, too."

"We're going to have to tell him," she sighed. "I don't even know what to say about it. He's been feeling so safe lately, and now I have to take that away from him."

"What we'll tell him is that he has two parents who will do anything to keep him safe, and that he has nothing to fear."

"He has to be afraid, though," she argued. "I can't let him be unprepared."

"No, you're right," Arthur sagged onto a chair next to her. "I've never had to deal with this sort of thing before."

"Me either," she admitted. "At least, not like this. Before when he would go visit her there was nothing I could do about the visits, so we'd go over when to call me and when to call 911 and then after he got back we'd talk about what happened and I'd try to document everything. And he's had the stranger danger talk of course."

"So we're almost there, then," he said. "We just have to tell him she's back."

"He's not going to be okay," Belle replied. "He used to have nightmares about this."

"Well then if I need to find him I'll be sure to check your bed," he said with a half-smile that faded as it seemed to dawn on him what he'd actually said. "Not that...I'll be checking your bed."

It was actually a relief to giggle at his discomfort, and he felt it too, snickering along with her for a few moments.

"We really need to make a better plan for this in the long term," she said as soon as the giggles settled down. "Not that I mind you staying here, but if they try to take him...what are our options with the police?"

"Not great," he admitted. "We can call if we see them too close to him and if we can prove they're a threat we might be able to get the police to patrol the neighborhood, but otherwise our best option is preventing him from being alone."

"Do you think she'd hurt one of us to get to him?"

It was the question that had been dancing at the forefront of her mind since she'd seen Milah at the cafe: were their lives in danger?

"Milah? Probably not, though you know Jones better than I do. And I can't imagine that prison mellowed either of them out."

"That's a good point," she admitted. "When I knew them, they were both far more ambivalent than violent. Are you sure the police won't increase patrols?"

"I only got the one to show up outside the cafe by calling in a favor," he admitted.

She leaned her head against his shoulder gingerly.

"Thanks for doing that," she said honestly. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know yet," he admitted. "But whatever it is we'll do it together."

"We will," she agreed. "That's what family means, isn't it? That we do the hard things together?"

"I still don't know what to tell Bae," he admitted."

"Me either," she conceded. "But we better do it soon. I don't want to put him in danger."

"There's no time like the present," he reminded her. "The longer we wait, the worse it'll get."


	29. Chapter 29

paradiceseeker said:

I think this would be later in the timeline. Something minor happens to Belle's home. Nothing that would destroy it or their belongings, but something that would make Belle and Bae have to move out for a week or two. After the week, Belle and Bae aren't eager to move back.

* * *

One night at Belle's would turn into a week and a half of both Belle and Bae sleeping over at his house. Not that Arthur really minded (or, indeed, disliked) having them both at hand constantly, he just wished the circumstances leading to it had been difference.

After they had told Bae his biological mom was out of prison, he'd been perfectly fine...until around one in the morning when he woke up crying and ended up spending the rest of the night in his mother's bed. Not that Belle would admit to it, but Arthur was pretty sure she preferred that to having him in his own bed. He liked the idea of Bae not being alone at night, but he hated being far enough away from them that he wouldn't have any real hope of protecting them.

In the morning, they'd made a plan. Belle took Bae to school so as to warn the staff of what was going on. Arthur went to his shop with the expectation that he'd pick their son up later (Bae wasn't to go anyplace without a parent present). That all blew right to Hell before three.

The only reason he'd even bothered to open the shop at all that day was because Bae had to go to school and they wouldn't let Arthur physically sit in the class with him. He was about to begin closing when the bell rang above the door and Milah waltzed back into his life.

She was thinner than he remembered, although prison could probably do that to you. Her hair, which had once been long and wavy was now cut to shoulder length and hung limp around her face. She was beautiful when he'd known her, and you could still see that woman inside of her, but this was a woman who'd had a much harder life than his ex-wife had been accustomed to.

"Hello, Arthur," she said, sweeter than he remembered her ever sounding except in the early days of their marriage. "It's been a long time."

"Yes it has," he snapped. "But not long enough."

"Is it really going to be like that?" she replied. "After all these years, you're just going to kick me out again?"

"I never 'kicked you out,' Milah," he said. "You ran off with your boyfriend. How _is_ dear Killian these days, by the way?"

She had the good grace at least to look shamed by his comment, but not to leave.

"Killian is fine," she said, averting her eyes. "But we'd both be better with our son back."

And there it was, the real reason for her visit.

"He's not your son," Arthur said as calmly as he could manage. "And he's _certainly_ not Killian's. I took a paternity test, Milah."

She didn't even argue. He'd wanted to be able to argue about this, because he was still livid about it. Damn her.

"I figured you may have," she admitted, coming to stand in front of him. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I wasn't thinking straight at the time. You know that."

"And that's supposed to make me want to help you get Bae back?" he nearly laughed at the absurdity of it. "You're literally admitting to me that you were a terrible mother to him."

"I wasn't always!" she replied. "I tried my damn hardest for him! And it wasn't easy doing it alone, you know."

"Alone?" he exclaimed (bordered on yelling). "You weren't alone. You and Killian were together the entire time, Milah! And I only wasn't there because you left me and lied about him not being my son, but please, do continue to tell me how you were the victim in all this."

"You're still the same," she huffed. "Can't you forgive me? For Bae's sake, at least. He needs his parents."

"He has his parents," he snapped. "And you're not one of them."

"I am his mother!"

"Belle is his mother," he replied sharply. "_Belle_ raised him alone, not you. She was younger than you and had no family or help and she raised him. You lost all right to call yourself his mother a long time ago."

"So you're alright with our son being raised by a stranger?"

"I'm alright with _my_ son being raised by _his mother_," he corrected her. "Belle and I share custody and we're his legal parents."

She visibly recoiled at this news.

"Are you sleeping with her?" she shrieked.

"What the hell business would it be of yours if I were?" he replied, before thinking better of it. "I'm not, incidentally, but as far as the courts are concerned you are nothing to any of us anymore."

She was agitated now, scratching her lower arms through the sleeves of her sweater as she looked around the room, a habit he remembered from the last months of their relationship when things had already been spiraling out of control.

"Get out, Milah," he said finally. "I'm closing early today. And don't come back."

"No," she whined as he tried to maneuver her towards the door. "You can't kick me out. I want to see him, Arthur. That's all. I just want to see my son."

"Well fortunately for him he's not your son," Arthur shot back. "You're in absolutely no condition to see him and it would just upset him to see you."

"I have to see him!" she shrieked. "You can't keep him from me forever! I'm his mother! I carried him for nine months!"

"I'm calling the police," Arthur finally replied, moving towards the phone. She was irrational and erratic and beyond being reasoned with.

He got as far as dialing 9-1 before he heard the door slam and she was gone. He let out a long sigh, making sure to double check the alarm system and remove the handgun he kept under the counter before he locked up. He didn't like the idea of having a gun in the house with Bae, but he liked the idea of Milah or Jones breaking in and taking it even less.

He made it to Bae's school in record time, waiting patiently in the car line to retrieve his son.

"How was your day?" he asked Bae by way of conversation as they pulled back out into the road and turned towards the flower shop.

"It was fine," the boy said with a little shrug of his shoulders. "We read some of _Bridge to Terabithia_ and then I had a quiz in math."

"That's good," Arthur said distractedly. "How did you do?"

"I did alright I guess," Bae replied, staring out the window.

Neither one of them was particularly invested in this conversation at all, but neither one was willing to admit that.

"How are your friends?" Arthur tried. "Emma, and Nick, and Ava, and...August, was it?"

"They're fine," Bae replied.

Thankfully, Belle's job wasn't too far from the school so he didn't have to try to come up with any other discussion topics before they were both safely ensconced in the florists.

"Hey!" Belle said with a big relieved smile on her face as soon as she saw the both of them. Bringing Bae by after school hadn't been part of their original plan, but it had been a good change just to see her looking like that.

"Hi Mom!" Bae said cheerfully, before catching a glance of his mother's assistant manager in the back arranging flowers. "Hi Uncle Tiny!"

"Hello Bae," Anton called out, coming into the front to say hello and receive a hug from the boy. "How've you been? I haven't seen you since summer! Look at you, you're going to be bigger than me soon!"

Anton was fussing over Bae and insisting on measuring the boy before guiding him into the back room to sit on a stool and tell his uncle all about the family vacation they'd been on. Not that Arthur necessarily wanted to be rid of his son, but he was exceedingly grateful in this instance because the entire point of this outing was to warn Belle about Milah.

He'd been rehearsing what to tell her the entire car trip from his shop, but all those carefully crafted words evaporated at her warm smile.

"I want you and Bae to live with me," he blurted out. "While Milah is around, I mean. Not...permanently. Although if you wanted to I wouldn't – Milah came to see me today. She wants him back."

Belle paled visibly, but the fear he'd expected washed quickly across her face and was instead replaced with a look of pure determination.

"She's not getting him," Belle replied icily. "She can want him all she likes, but she is absolutely not going to get him."

"So you'll stay?"

"Of course," she said simply. "Your place has a better security system and a lot more room."

He felt his face go completely slack. He'd anticipated her to argue, or put up at least a token resistance. This was a welcome, but unlooked for, change.

"Right," he replied, at a loss for how to proceed. "Do you mind if Bae and I stay here, then? We can all go pack your things when you're done with work and make it a proper move. I don't want you alone any more than I want him alone."

"I can take care of myself," she said with a sly smile as she went back to her inventory. "But thank you for caring."

"No," he said sharper than he meant to, grabbing her arm before he realized what he was doing. "Belle, I'm serious. She's angry that you took him from her, and angry that I won't help her get him back. And she's using again. It's not safe."

"How do you know she's using?" Belle said breathlessly. "Can we use it to get her parole revoked?"

"I don't _know_," he corrected. "I just know how junkies act when they're using. If she's not using yet, she will be. The most I can do is ask her parole officer to bring her in for testing, but I don't know how much weight that will hold."

"And you think she might hurt me?"

"I think," he began, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I think to her, the only thing standing between her and getting Bae back is you. If you weren't in the picture, she'd be his only mother."

"But what about you?" she replied. "You're his parent, too."

"I don't count," he said with whatever smile he could muster. "I've never counted."

"Yes you do," she said quickly, returning his smile. "You matter to us."

His mouth went dry, and he wanted to answer her but what did you say to that? What could he possibly say to her that would communicate the gravity of what she was telling him? So instead he quietly stepped away and let her go back to her work.

Later that evening after Bae was settled into his room at Arthur's house and Belle had chosen a guest room for herself, after dinner and homework – even after Bae's bedtime – Arthur realized that this would be different than vacation had been. Vacation had been a neutral territory, but this was his home. This was Belle curled up on his sofa and looking so much like she belonged that it made his heart ache.

She was going over the books for the florist and he was going over some correspondence about a mid-century writing desk he hoped to acquire from a private collection and it felt so...right. They weren't paying any attention to each other at all (or hadn't been before he started staring), but if anything that was even more special. It was its own kind of acceptance. She was comfortable enough with his presence that it in no way affected her ability to go about her day to day life.

He liked this. It had been so long since someone was comfortable enough with him that it was nothing special to be in her nightgown and a bathrobe and look over documents in front of him. When she eventually – inevitably – caught on that he was staring at her, she didn't even flinch. She smiled at him, and smiled wider when he smiled back, before a yawn interrupted.

"I should probably go to sleep," she said sheepishly. "I've been working on this all week. The books got a little bit off while I was away and the numbers are just getting blurry at this point."

He couldn't speak around the lump in his throat, so he just nodded as she gathered her papers together and set them on the side table that her purse was now resting on as though it had always belonged there.

"Goodnight, Arthur," she said, kissing his cheek softly and making her way upstairs.

He hated Milah for threatening this tentative happiness they had found, but he thanked his lucky stars that he was here now and could protect them in whatever way was available to him.


	30. Chapter 30

This isn't based on any one particular prompt, but several people have mentioned they wanted to see everyone have a session with Archie and cynicsquest on ffnet pointed out some legal things for me that I wanted to have addressed so here we are.

* * *

"So," Dr. Hopper said softly from his seat opposite Bae. "Your mom tells me you've had a pretty major year."

Bae didn't want to talk about it, because a lot of it had been good but talking to Dr. Hopper about it somehow always made things feel...different. When it had just been him and Mom that had been good. Adding Dad had made things different, but in a mostly good way. Dad had always done whatever he or Mom had suggested, so it had mostly been good changes like the vacation or getting to go see movies at night. When his birth mom showed up, though, that was different. His parents were both really scared about her and Bae was pretty nervous, too. He barely remembered her at all and what he did remember mostly was just being scared about messing up because he wasn't sure if she'd yell at him and wishing he could go home.

Bae had started seeing Dr. Hopper before he was adopted, and had only stopped a year ago. It felt bad somehow to come back. He liked Archie, but he'd felt normal when he wasn't visiting him and coming back felt a little bit like failure.

"Your mom also says you've been having nightmares again," Dr. Hopper continued when Bae didn't say anything. "Do you want to talk about those?"

"No," Bae muttered. Talking about the nightmares made them feel real and as long as they weren't real he was safe.

"That's okay," Dr. Hopper replied. "We can talk about whatever you want to talk about. I heard you went on vacation with your parents this summer. I bet that was fun."

Bae nodded, but accepted this prompt. Vacation was easy to talk about.

"We went to the beach," he said. "And the woods. I got to go fishing."

"Oh yeah?" Dr. Hopper said, leaning forward a little bit. "How did you like that?"

"I didn't catch anything and the boat flipped over," Bae was smiling for real now thinking about it. "But I liked it. And Mom and I played a prank on Dad."

"What was it?"

"She distracted him while I put honey on the doorknob. It was pretty funny, especially when he grabbed her and put it on her face."

"Do your dad and your mom get along?"

"Yeah," Bae said after he thought for a minute. "They fight sometimes, but mostly they talk a lot."

"And how do you feel about that?"

"I like it," Bae said softly. "Mostly."

"Why only mostly?"

"I dunno," Bae admitted. And it was true – he had no idea why he sometimes wished his parents would get along a little less good.

"Well," Archie said in his _I'm about to try to guess what's wrong with you_ voice. "You've been the only guy in your mom's life for awhile. Are you maybe a little jealous that now she has your dad, too?"

"Maybe."

_Definitely._

"It must have been a really big adjustment having him show up, huh?"

"I guess," Bae replied with a carefully casual shrug. "I like having him around though."

"I never said you didn't," Dr. Hopper replied. "But I imagine between your Dad showing up and your birth mom...if it were me, I'd probably be really stressed out."

"It's not too bad," Bae replied, trying very hard to sound like he meant it. "I'll be fine."

Dr. Hopper made a little humming noise but he didn't argue.

"Do you know why your mom and dad brought you in today?" Dr. Hopper finally said, and Bae shook his head in reply. "Your parents are really worried about how withdrawn you've been lately. Do you think you've been acting different?"

"I don't know, maybe a little," Bae admitted. "Not too bad."

"You know, Bae, there's nothing wrong with being upset right now."

"But I'm not upset!" Bae snapped, even though he knew Dr. Hopper was right. He was upset, he was scared – he was terrified, actually. He felt so small and helpless, and he hated feeling this way. His birth mother had always been a strange sort of fascination for him, something between a long lost relative and the monster that haunted his dreams. He wanted to understand her, but he'd never really given up the fear of living with her, either. He didn't want to know her, but he wanted to have known her. But how could he put those things into words? There weren't words for it, really. And how could he betray his mom by wanting to know this other woman? How could he betray his father by being curious about a person who had kept them apart so long?

Instead of trying to put his thoughts in order, Bae flung himself back on the couch he was sitting on and crossed his arms over his chest. He couldn't make eye contact with Dr. Hopper, only nodding when he was asked if it was okay if his parents came in now. This was supposed to be a family session, after all. He heard his parents come in and almost felt his mother freeze when she realized he was upset before she came and sat down next to him. His dad sat down on the other side and he was half comforted by their closeness and half agitated that they were worried about him. He was okay, really. He would be okay.

"So Bae and I have been talking," Dr. Hopper said softly. "But I'd like to hear from both of you how you think things have changed this year."

"Well," Mom said, and Bae could almost hear her looking at him. "The biggest change, of course, is that his dad is in the picture now. But I don't think that's really a bad thing for any of us."

"I definitely agree with that," Dr. Hopper said quickly. "I don't want it to sound like we're just discussing bad things. Even good things can be a source of stress, and especially when they involve such a drastic lifestyle change as this has."

Dad was squirming a little uncomfortably and Bae felt so bad for his father right now because he hadn't wanted them to blame him for Bae being weird right now. It wasn't Dad's fault. Mom reached her arm around Bae and put her hand on Dad's shoulder comfortingly. Bae liked the feeling of her being there, she was solid and steady and always there if he needed her.

"I think the bigger issue right now is Milah," Dad blurted out. "As far as I know, everything was fine before."

"It was fine," Mom agreed. "If anything, Bae was thriving."

"That's good," Dr. Hopper said reassuringly. "And again, I'm not saying that his father coming into his life was bad. And I definitely agree that the situation with his birth mother is something that needs to be addressed, I just want to make sure that we're not overlooking anything."

"What do you mean?" Dad asked. "What else is there to talk about?"

"For example," Dr. Hopped replied. "Bae was readopted a few weeks ago. How did that go?"

Nobody said anything for awhile so Bae finally looked up. His parents were looking uncomfortably between each other and Dr. Hopper.

"We had some disagreements," Mom replied, twirling her ring around her finger absently. "But in the end, I realize that I may have overreacted to some things."

Dad didn't say anything, instead he seemed to find a squirrel outside the window really interesting all of a sudden.

"I do want to address the problems you're having with his birth mom," Dr. Hopper said patiently. "But to fully deal with this, you two are going to have to provide a united front. I'd like to help you get on the same page with each other. I think that would probably make everyone feel a lot more secure about what's going on here."

Mom and Dad were looking at each other again, but this time Mom also was looking down at Bae. Everyone knew that she would be the one to make the decision here. If Mom thought there was a problem, Dad would go along with it. Dad would go along with it if Mom thought they were okay. Bae didn't know what he thought, so he'd trust Mom as well. She finally nodded.

"I think that's probably a very good idea," she said with a soft smile.

Arthur hadn't really expected to get included in therapy. He didn't really mind, particularly, because he would do literally anything he could to make things easier on Bae, but he hadn't expected it. It had been a little more stressful than he'd thought it would be, too. And Bae had been doing this since he was four years old. Arthur really hoped this time it wouldn't need to go on so long, at least.

He'd locked himself in his office once they got home. Belle and Bae were watching a movie on his sofa, and he was itching to joined them, but he had other things to handle first. Like calling the private investigator he'd had tailing Milah all week.

Dove was pretty good at his job. He didn't talk much, and he didn't work cheap, but he got the job done. So far she'd been keeping pretty clean as far as Dove could tell. Maybe the arm scratching was a nervous habit by now, but Arthur didn't really want to risk that. Dove hadn't seen any signs of drug use yet from either Milah or Jones. As far as he could tell, Jones went to work at the docks and Milah was waitressing at a bar. It wasn't great work, but they were ostensibly clean. He was really itching for a reason to call her parole officer and try to get her brought in, but if he did that too often he was afraid of being the boy who cried wolf so he was waiting for some real evidence.

Mostly he was worried she was going to try to sue for custody. Not that he thought she had much of a chance with her record and his larger budget, but it was definitely something he didn't want to drag his son through if he could avoid it.

His call with Dove was the same as it had been all week. It really wasn't fair, Arthur decided. He'd been robbed of his son's entire childhood and the woman who had caused it to happen was out walking around freely. Where was the justice? She had taken something from both him and Bae that he couldn't replace. He didn't think he could ever forgive her for that. He wasn't sure he really wanted to.

Something had hit him today in therapy that he didn't want to dwell on too long, but here in the solitude of his office he felt a little more willing to take it out and look at it. He resented Belle. He was jealous of how close she was to their son and how she'd been able to raise him. He loved her, he would never not love her for how much she had loved Bae and how well she'd taken care of him. She was the best friend he'd ever have. But he was so jealous of the fact that Bae would seek comfort from her and not him, that she was the one who ultimately decided the rules of their little family, that she had memories of his entire life, that she'd gotten to raise him. Belle had raised his son without him, and he hated everyone for that. He hated Milah for causing it, he hated Jones for his stupid fucking face, but he was afraid that a part of him had begun to hate Belle for benefiting from it. And he hated himself for feeling that way.

There were some feelings it was too dangerous to admit to, so Arthur put that one away in the deepest, darkest corner of his mind and rejoined his family on the sofa. They almost looked like they belonged there, curled up under a blanket and teasing each other as he sat in an armchair nearby and wished he knew these inside jokes.

He hated her, he loved her, he wanted her to be happy, he wanted her. Would this ever be easy?


	31. Chapter 31

As two weeks of cohabitation began to turn into three and threatened to turn into four, Belle was becoming antsy. Not that Arthur wasn't a gracious host and always happy to have them, or that his house wasn't bigger than hers or nicer than hers, but her house was _hers_ and she wanted to be at home in her own bed. Here she was still a guest – a loved guest, a guest who was given free reign over the entire house if she wanted, but a guest. This was his home and it was Bae's other home, but her home was a few miles down the road and it was small but it was hers. It was where her father and mother had lived and where she'd raised her son. She couldn't go, though, because it wasn't the safest place for her son to be.

Arthur had a security system with a panic button and lived in a neighborhood that had a gate. More importantly, though, there was a second parent when she was here. She didn't have to hover over her son every minute of every day, because if she wasn't there his father was. There was no way she could have gotten through the threat of Bae's birth mother returning without Arthur but with all signs pointing to Milah being in the area indefinitely they desperately needed to come up with a longer term solution than everyone living together.

Therapy, at least, was helping with all that. Bae had his private sessions, they had family therapy, and Dr. Hopper had gently suggested that perhaps the adults might consider 'couples counseling.' After Arthur had sputtered and babbled for a few minutes and been reassured that it was more like partner's therapy and implied nothing sexual at all they had signed up for a third therapy session. It was pretty intense, but it was helping.

It was after one of their marathon sessions with the doctor that things finally came to a head. They didn't go out much these days, but winter was beginning to bite and Bae needed a new coat (he'd managed to outgrow his old one) so it couldn't be avoided: they had to go shopping. Belle was sure there were military invasions that were planned and carried out with less precision than this trip to the mall. Both adults were on high alert, and even Bae seemed to be feeling the pressure of the occasion, clinging to his mother's side closer than usual.

Picking out and purchasing the coat took a record breaking twenty minutes and then they were out the door and into the parking lot. Belle had a prickly feeling in the back of her neck, and she just wanted to get to the car and go to his house where it was safe, but she wasn't going to get what she wanted. Milah and Jones were waiting by the car.

Bae didn't recognize them right away, thank God, but Belle and Arthur both did. She instinctively pulled Bae tighter to her and Arthur took a half-step in front of them. She felt her son squirming a little with a fear he didn't entirely understand.

"Hello, Milah," Arthur snarled.

Belle grabbed her phone with shaking hands, preparing to dial 9-11 if either one made a move.

Milah ignored Arthur altogether. Instead, she was looking around him at where Belle and Bae stood.

"Is that Bae?" she almost whispered. "He's gotten so big."

She was moving towards Belle and her son, and Belle was itching to call for help against this woman who was moving towards her child, but so far they didn't have any reason to consider them a threat and she was afraid the operator would laugh.

She handed her phone to Bae and pushed him behind her as Milah started to reach for him.

"Don't touch him," Belle said sharply. Arthur was holding his cane like a weapon in front of her, and she was grateful for him being there and on her side.

"Don't you recognize me?" Milah said to Bae with a smile on her face that didn't quite register as being real. "I'm your mom."

Milah's sweater rode up her outstretched arm, and Belle glanced down to see the name 'Bailey' tattooed across the other woman's wrist. She hadn't imagined this other woman having her son's name tattooed on her wrist, and yet here they were. It was almost like a scene from someone else's life, and she couldn't really decide what to feel with the fact that her son's name was emblazoned on this person's body in a crude prison scrawl.

"You can't be here," Belle said as calmly as she could. "You have no right to be here."

"He's my child!" Milah exclaimed sharply. "I have every right to see him."

"Not legally," Arthur said, staring down Jones like they were in a western. "As far as the courts are concerned, you're nobody."

"Milah," Jones finally said. "We've gotta go."

He had his hand on her shoulder and was tugging her arm a little.

"Not without Bae," Milah insisted. "I won't leave him again."

Jones was looking nervously around.

"We can't be here if the cops come, love," he whispered.

Bae had her jacket clenched in his fist and Belle just wanted him away from this so badly she couldn't stand it.

Milah was still reaching towards Bae again and Belle couldn't help reaching out and batting the other woman's hand away from her child. Everything went so fast after that. Milah's eyes grew wide and she lunged for Belle, who shoved her son away right before she felt Milah's fist connect with the side of her head. She saw stars, but heard her son's voice screaming and knew she couldn't afford to be dazed because Bae _needed_ her and she needed to be there for him. When she could make her eyes focus again, she saw Jones sprawled out on the ground in front of Arthur who was still holding his cane and watching the other man intently. Milah was nowhere to be seen, but Bae was safely behind his father and that's all that mattered. She could see the relief in her son's eyes when she smiled at him, and it almost made the pain in her head clear up – almost.

"Bae," Arthur said as levelly as she thought he could possibly have managed in the circumstances. "I need you to call 911, can you do that?"

Bae nodded and began dialing his mother's phone with shaking fingers. She rushed over to where the two of them stood and took the phone from her son. He didn't need to be responsible for any of this, it was the grown ups' responsibility. It was the work of a few moments to give the information to the operator, and even though it felt like ages before the police arrived with an ambulance in tow, when she hung up her phone said she'd only been on the line for twenty minutes.

She'd never been so happy to see the police in her life, although she got to be examined by the EMTs along with Killian (who, it turned out, Arthur had hit over the head with his cane when the other man tried to grab Bae) before her statement was taken. She was apparently going to have a pretty nice black eye, but aside from that was given a clear bill of health.

"Belle?" a familiar voice came from behind her.

She turned around to see a face she hadn't really thought about in a decade.

"George!" she exclaimed, relief flooding her. "What are you doing here?"

George McNabb was her college sweetheart and ex-fiance. They'd broken up around the time she got Bae because he wasn't quite ready for parenting yet and she was. She hadn't really minded – it had been a pretty good excuse to end a relationship she wasn't entirely sure she'd wanted in the first place – and the two had parted on decent terms. It was just good to see a friendly face in all of this.

"I'm a deputy," he explained, pointing to the little badge on his chest. "How have you been?"

"Good," she replied. "I mean, aside from this."

"Yeah, I gathered that much," he said as he flipped through his notes. "So what exactly happened?"

She related everything to him from the time she first heard Milah was out of prison, though her eyes kept roaming over to where her son stood with his father. Both were watching her intently as well.

"So that's Bae?" he said with a little smile on his face after she was finally done giving her statement. "He's gotten so big."

"Yeah," she replied. "That's his dad with him."

"You got married?"

"Oh, no," she said almost too quickly. "It's his biological dad. He didn't know about Bae until recently. We share custody."

"That's so great," George added. "I'm glad things are going well for you. Well, aside from the black eye anyway."

"I'm actually pretty happy about that," Belle admitted. "I'm pretty sure we can get a restraining order now. So you might be seeing a lot more of me."

"I'd like that," he replied before catching himself. "Uh, can I meet them? I haven't seen Bae since he was a baby, I mean. I'm just kind of curious how your son turned out is all. If you're okay with that. If you're not, that's cool too."

"No, that would be fine," she said, waving her son over. Bae ran to her and threw his arms around her and pressed his face into her side like he had as a much smaller child when he was scared. Arthur wasn't too far behind, eying George suspiciously.

"Mom I was so worried," Bae practically sobbed. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I'm fine," she reassured him. "Just a little bruise is all. But I want you to meet someone. This is my old friend Deputy McNabb. We were friends when you were a baby."

"Hey Buddy," George said cheerfully, extending his hand for Bae to shake. "Oh man, last time I saw you I could fit you between my hand and my elbow."

If Arthur had been eying George suspiciously before, now he looked positively mutinous and while Bae was polite enough to shake the deputy's hand he seemed pretty confused at this person who remembered him as an infant but who he'd never heard of before.

"And this is Bae's father Arthur," Belle continued. "Arthur, this is George McNabb."

Arthur and George shook hands politely but Belle still didn't think he liked the idea of any other people from their pasts showing up with Milah still on the loose (at least with Killian currently in the back of a police cruiser Belle felt a lot better about their odds of keeping Bae away from his biological mother).

"Belle, are you almost done?" Arthur said pointedly. "I think it would be for the best if we got home."

"Yeah, sure," she said. "I think we're about done, right?"

She glanced over to George who flipped his notebook closed quickly.

"Totally, yeah," he replied. "I just have a couple more things but it shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

"We'll wait by the car," Arthur said, walking away with his hand on his son's shoulder and a last backwards glance towards Belle before her attention returned to the deputy she'd almost married.

"They're usually more polite," she apologized. "It's just been a trying few weeks."

"I bet," George said with a good-natured smile. "I'm really glad we ran into each other, though. Even if it had to be like this."

"It was nice to see a friendly face," she admitted. "It's been really hard lately and I don't know if I could have handled a stranger."

"If anything else happens, just give me a call," he said, pulling out a business card and scrawling something across it. "My cell is on the back, and I mean it. Call me whenever if anything goes bad, okay?"

"I will," she promised, taking the card and putting it in her pocket. "Thank you so much."

"Hey, it's no big deal. Maybe if I'd been a little more mature back then none of this would be a problem, right?"

"If you'd been ready to be a dad back then," she said. "I'm still not sure I was really ready to be a wife. I think it was for the best."

"Maybe," he agreed. "But either way..." he took a deep breath. "I'd like to get coffee sometime if you would. Just to catch up, no ulterior motives or anything. Just coffee."

Oh God, he just asked her on a date. There was a part of her that was screaming no. This was exactly how she'd almost married him last time, because coffee had progressed to dinner had progressed to staying over had progressed to an engagement. And she had enough going on that she honestly hadn't missed him. But at the same time, she was clearly missing _something_ and at least George was safe. She never had to wonder where she stood with him, he never really pressured her for anything, and she did like him. Maybe getting back out there would be good for her.

"I have a lot going on right now," she finally said. "It's not a great time."

"That's fine," he said just as cheerfully as he'd been before. "Just let me know if you change your mind. No pressure or anything, you know. I just always felt bad about how things with us went down."

"I will," she promised. "Let you know, I mean. And there's nothing to feel bad about, you know. It was as much my choice as it was yours and I made the right one."

"He's a really good kid," George replied. "And it's uncanny how much like you he looks."

"He's a great kid," Belle corrected him. "And I've never regretted a minute of it."

The car ride home was quiet. Belle sat in the backseat with Bae, which wasn't extremely conducive to conversation but Arthur didn't care. He was glad the boy wouldn't be alone. This had been the worst day he could remember having. They'd all known it was only a matter of time before Milah made a move for Bae, but that didn't make it any easier on anybody. He'd been so terrified seeing the two of them, and when Milah hit Belle it had all been like a scene out of one of his nightmares. Belle had shoved Bae towards him and he'd had barely enough time to get the boy safely behind himself before Jones panicked and tried to grab the child so they could run. It was lucky that he'd been so fixated on Bae that he hadn't noticed Arthur's cane until it connected with his head. At least Milah had the good sense to run off after that, but he knew it was only a temporary reprieve. She'd be back as soon as she could figure out some other way of grabbing his son.

Surprisingly, once they got home Bae ran upstairs and locked himself in his room rather than lurking near his mother like Arthur had expected him to. He suspected her getting hit had taken a toll on the boy, and he'd see if he couldn't suss that out later. For now, he had other questions to ask of Belle that couldn't be asked in front of theirs son.

"So that was the infamous George, was it?" he blurted out before she even had time to sit down.

"Yeah," she admitted. "That's my ex-fiance."

"He held Bae when he was a baby," he said. It wasn't even a question. The man had admitted to it right there, and Arthur knew that it was a petty thing to be angry over but he couldn't help being indignant anyway.

"I guess so," she said with a shrug. "It was a long time ago."

"You guess so?" he repeatedly shrilly. "Exactly how many people did you just hand him off to? Did the mailman hold him? Cashiers at the grocery store?"

"Why are you angry about this?"

Because he was jealous and terrified and he'd come so close to losing them today.

"I just think I should know what influences my son was exposed to."

"So you're worried a sheriff's deputy he hasn't seen since he was six months old was a bad influence on him?"

"Clearly there's something wrong with him," Arthur shot back. "Or else he wouldn't be your _ex_."

"He wasn't ready to be a dad," she replied. "At least not to someone else's child."

Well there it was, the man was clearly an idiot. Who wouldn't want Belle and Bae? Now he felt entirely justified in not liking him.

"I was twenty-three and he was twenty-four," she continued as though reading his thoughts. "He was hardly an ogre."

"Did you love him?"

"That's really not your business," she sounded affronted. "And even if it was, it was ten years ago! Don't you think we have more important things to worry about right now? Like _your_ ex-wife?"

She was right. Dammit, she was completely right. This wasn't even what he was angry about. He didn't know why he was so furious, and he definitely didn't want to be.

"We'll get a restraining order in the morning when the court opens," he said as calmly as he could manage. "If she comes within a hundred yards of us I'll have her arrested."

He just really hoped he could talk Belle into staying home with him and holding Bae out of school. He was pretty sure he could keep Bae home, but Belle was never quite as easy.

"That's a good start," she replied, still visibly annoyed with him but willing to deal with it.

"I still can't figure out what she's after, though," he admitted. "She has to know she won't get any child support if she kidnaps him."

"She loves him," Belle said softly. "She has his name tattooed on her wrist. You don't do that for child support money."

He sunk into a chair, exhaling sharply at the thought. Love hadn't even crossed his mind as a motivation, he barely remembered Milah having the ability to love.

"I'll keep you both safe," he promised. "She won't get him."

"I know," she said with a little smile. "You stepped in front of us in the parking lot."

"I didn't want them to come near either of you."

"You protected Bae," she replied. "That's the important part."

"You're both important."

"And so are you," she said. "But we're also both a little on edge I think. I'm going to go upstairs and talk to Bae. I think you should probably join us."

"I will," he said softly. "Just...give me a minute?"

She nodded before walking out of the room. He heard her on the stairs, going to find their son to reassure him of how very safe he was. Arthur would need to go up himself in a minute to reiterate the point, but first he put his face in his hands and cried over how close he'd come to losing his entire family this afternoon because he couldn't do that in front of his son.


	32. Chapter 32

Milah had disappeared. Nobody knew where the hell she'd run off to since her ill-fated attempt at kidnapping Bae. Arthur was relieved, at least, that Jones was out of the picture. As far as parole violations went, attempted kidnapping was a pretty serious one. Without her number one asset, Milah seemed to have gone to ground and even Dove couldn't locate her. Jones may have some clue of who she'd seek out for help, but he was refusing to cooperate with authorities at the moment. At least if she was alone, Arthur was fairly certain that even if she tried something they'd be able to stop her – and now that she _had_ tried something, getting a restraining order against her had been a simple matter. If they even saw her, they were well within their rights to call the police and have her taken away before she was even within spitting distance. In that way, it was almost a relief that she'd confronted them like she had.

Milah's attempt on Bae had one horrible consequence, though, that was very nearly intolerable: Bae was having nightmares again. Arthur had known intellectually that his son had suffered from them on and off for most of his life, but these were worse than he'd known about and certainly worse than he'd seen. The fact that even Belle seemed disturbed by this latest round, though, had him particularly concerned. Bae had even returned to sleeping in his mother's bed yet again, after having slept in his own room since they moved into the same house. More worrying than that, though, was that the boy now refused to be in a room alone at all except to shower. If Belle was cooking, Bae would be in the kitchen with her. If Belle was taking a bath, he'd be reading quietly in Arthur's study while his father went over papers. After school, he would lurk quietly in the pawn shop or the florist's after school, never quite out of sight.

Arthur had been angry that Milah had left him, he'd been furious when he found out she hid Bae, and he'd been livid when she tried to steal the boy back, but watching his son suffering and being powerless to stop it made him hate her in a way he hadn't known he could hate another person. His son had been thriving, and now he wasn't. The woman responsible didn't even care, either. She claimed to love the boy, and she'd traumatized him so fully that he was having a difficult time functioning and had been to therapy every day for the last four days. It wasn't getting any better and Arthur hadn't ever known helplessness like this before. He desperately wanted to discuss it with Belle, to see if he'd ever been like this before just to commiserate with someone who knew what they were going through, but Bae was attached to one or both of them at the hip unless he was physically in Dr. Hopper's office.

Still, by day five he'd pretty much reached his breaking point. He tagged along to Bae's appointment, even though so far he and Belle had been alternating days so they could at least work full days half the time.

"Was it ever like this before?" Arthur whispered to her the second the door closed behind Bae. "With the nightmares, I mean?"

"Yes and no," Belle replied softly. "He was like this before sometimes, but he was littler then so I kind of expected it. This..." she sighed. "I just don't know. I don't know how to help him."

He could hear the strain in her voice. It occurred to him then that this must be harder for her than him. Bae was clinging to her constantly now, and although Arthur would give anything to have their son need him as much as he needed Belle, he understood that she might need some respite from the stress herself.

"They'll find her soon," Arthur promised. "This can't go on forever."

She looked at him like she was about to reply, but his phone ringing stopped her. She focused on his phone like a hunting dog as he pulled it out. A quick glance at his call ID told him all he needed to know – this was the call they'd been waiting for from the police.

"Hello?" he answered, his hands shaking in anticipation.

"Is this Mr. Arthur Gold?" the voice on the other line said.

"Yes," he replied, wishing they'd just get on with it and tell him Milah had been found and all was finally well.

"Mr. Gold, this is Sheriff Humbert, I'm afraid I have some bad news," the voice on the other end said. Arthur's breath hitched and he glanced at Belle, anticipation written across her face in bold letters. If they were about to tell him they'd lost her again, Arthur wasn't sure what he was about to do.

"We've found your ex-wife," the sheriff continued. "She was hiding out with some of her old friends from before prison."

"So you have her in custody?" Arthur couldn't stop the smile that was spreading across his face and the relief he felt welling up in his chest. Belle, too, looked close to giddy. She had her hands cupped over her mouth and her eyes wide and fixed on him as though he were the most wonderful thing she'd ever seen in her life.

"That's what I'm trying to explain," the sheriff said somberly. "Mr. Gold, she's dead."

Arthur only heard snippets of what the other man said over the blood rushing in his ears – things like 'overdose' and 'no signs of foul play' washed over him. He would take these apart later in the safety of his own home. Belle was staring at him from the next chair, agitation evident on her face and he wanted to comfort her but his tongue was like lead in his mouth. The sheriff promised to be in contact if they learned anything else, and Arthur knew he said goodbye, but it still took him a minute to gather himself enough to put the phone down and face Belle.

"Arthur?" she said finally. "What's wrong?"

"Milah's dead," he blurted out. "They don't know if it was a suicide or just an accident, but she overdosed."

"Oh my God," Belle whispered. "What are we going to tell Bae?"

He shook his head, because the truth was he just didn't know. He wasn't sure how he was feeling about it himself, to be frank. He hated Milah the way he'd never hated another person, but there had been a time when he'd loved her. Eighteen years ago, he wasn't sure he'd ever love anyone as much as he did her. She'd been fun and funny and charming and had encouraged him to do more with his life. She'd maybe drank a little to much, but then so did most of their friends. It wasn't until the drinking became _more_ and the party never quite ended that he realized she might have a problem, and by then it was too late for him to help her anymore. And now she was dead. The lovely, vibrant woman he'd fallen in love with had become a shell of herself by the end, and now she was lying in some morgue somewhere on a slab. And he had to tell the child he'd made with her that she was dead, and he would never know the woman who his father had loved.

He looked at Belle – at his son's _mother_ – and tried to figure out how to tell her all this. She'd known her as Bae's birth mom, as a drug addict, and the woman who was trying to steal her son from her. He never got to try to explain, though. The office door opened and Bae emerged with his therapist and Belle stood up so fast that Arthur was dizzy watching her.

"Dr. Hopper, can I speak with you a moment?" she asked before the pair even had time to register that she'd moved.

"Yes, of course," the therapist said calmly even though it was clear that something was going on in the waiting room. "Bae, why don't you and your dad wait here for a minute, okay?"

Bae had to know something was up, but he just nodded and quietly went to his father. Arthur wasn't sure what he'd do if Bae asked him any questions while Belle was gone, but he didn't. He quietly picked up a magazine and flipped through it, glancing towards the door every so often. Belle emerged maybe five minutes later, a piece of paper in her hand and a determined look on her face.

"Sorry about that," she said with a smile that was just too bright and too cheerful to be genuine. "You guys ready to go home?"

Bae was, jumping up and holding her hand as they walked to the car. Arthur merely followed them out the door, still unclear on his place in this tight-knit group of her victims and still hurting. The drive home was mostly silent, but when they got to his house Belle finally spoke again.

"Before you start your homework," she said to Bae once they were in the living room. "Your dad and I have something we need to tell you."

"What is it?" Bae asked, glancing between his parents. Arthur couldn't look at his son.

Belle sat down, patting next to her and Bae blindly followed her instruction. Arthur sat nearby, watching them like an outsider – although in a way, he was. Milah hadn't victimized him the way she had them. She hadn't been a constant negative presence in his life. She'd hurt him, she'd drained him emotionally and financially and stolen his son away; but then she'd been gone. For Belle and Bae she'd been something that was hanging over their heads for Bae's entire life.

"Your dad got a call from the sheriff while you were at your appointment," Belle explained. "And they found your birth mom. Honey, she's dead."

Arthur had expected tears or hysterics – or maybe even relief – from Bae, but what he hadn't expected was the complete shut down that he now saw. Bae's face was completely calm, no sign that what his mother had told him was affecting him in any way.

"What happened?" Bae finally asked.

"She took a lot of drugs," Belle said after glancing at Arthur. "She probably went to sleep and didn't wake up."

Actually, she probably become incredibly agitated, had a seizure on the floor of a friend's basement and choked on her own vomit, but he didn't like that mental image any more than he liked the idea of giving it to Bae. He would take this with him to his grave if he had to.

"Why did she take the drugs?"

"I don't know, sweetheart," Belle said softly, stroking Bae's hair a little. She had tears falling silently onto her cheeks now, but Bae was still completely flat.

She'd taken them for a lot of reasons – because she was disappointed in her life, because it seemed fun, because she was never the sort of girl who backed down from a challenge, because the alcohol wasn't giving her the same thrill it used to, because she'd wanted more than being the bored housewife of an attorney, because her dad skipped out and her mom used to drink too much and had never told her she loved her – but none of those reasons had ever been something Bae needed to be burdened with.

"She was an addict," Arthur said finally. "She couldn't help herself but to take them, and sometimes when you do that you'll take too many."

"Oh," Bae said finally, seeming to try to parse this information. "Can I do my homework now?"

Belle nodded, letting her hand drop from her son's hair as he rose to his feet and took the stairs two at a time, slamming his bedroom door behind him.


	33. Chapter 33

Belle wasn't really ready to face the day, but morning came regardless. Bae hadn't woken her up all night. She'd half expected him to, but he'd spent the entire night in his room (and she had definitely checked). She didn't see much point in waking him up for school, as she wasn't going to make him go. She was preparing breakfast when Arthur came into the kitchen. She turned to greet him, and saw the confusion on his face at her pajamas and messy hair and overlarge stack of pancakes.

"I thought I'd stay home with Bae today," she explained before he could ask. "I'm not going to make him go to school."

"Oh," he replied dully. "That's...probably a good idea, actually. Do you mind if I join you?"

"You don't have to ask," she reminded him. "He's your son, too."

He nodded a little, walking towards the fridge and removing the orange juice, setting it on the table, and glancing around like he needed something to do. Usually, she'd try to figure something out for him but she couldn't right now. She barely had enough left for Bae, she just couldn't spare anything for Arthur.

"Hey Mom," Bae greeted her, already dressed in his clothes and carrying his backpack. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Oh, honey," Belle replied, turning from the pancakes she'd been obsessively making for the last half hour. "You're not going to school today."

"Why not?"

"Well," she hadn't entirely expected him to question her. "Because...I think it's important you spend the day with your dad and I."

"I've got a lot of work to do," he replied flatly. "And homework."

"The homework will wait," she said. "And I can talk to your teachers."

He was hurting and she knew it, he just didn't want to admit it.

"I want to go to school!" he snapped. "Why won't you let me?"

"I'm not arguing about this," she yelled back. "We need to be a family right now!"

He humphed, stalking upstairs to his room and slamming the door and leaving both of his parents looking at each other. Belle broke first, making a little shrieking noise and throwing the spatula hard against a wall.

"I can't do this," she murmured, leaning back against the counter. "I just can't."

"What do you mean?"

"He's hurting," she said with a sigh. "He's hurting so much and he needs me but all I can feel is relief. I'm so relieved that she's gone and I feel so, so bad for it."

He was bristling a little bit, but she couldn't stop talking now that she was letting it out.

"She's just been hanging over my head for ten damn years, Arthur," she clenched her fists. "I've known this was coming for so long and I've hoped it would happen and now...I just feel empty. I'm hurting because he's hurting, but I can't comfort him."

She barely noticed she was crying until he had come and wrapped his arms around her and then she was sobbing. It wasn't right. He was grieving, too, and she was just feeling sorry for herself, but she still clung to him and let him comfort her.

It took a few days for Milah's body to be released. She'd never known the woman had a sister, but apparently they'd been estranged since before Bae was even born. Arthur had gotten in contact with her and both he and Bae were going to the funeral. Belle was invited as well, but Milah had hated her and the feeling had been mutual. Milah wouldn't have wanted her to go and Belle didn't really think it would have been appropriate to go when she was just so...happy. Nobody made her explain it, at least. Bae was still completely shut down (although Dr. Hopper was working very hard with all three on that) and Arthur knew. She wasn't sure he understood, but he knew and he didn't pressure her. So her son and his father went to a funeral, and Belle went home.

There was no reason to keep living in the same house now that the threat had passed, and she was a little anxious to try to return to normal. Unfortunately, the house was big and empty and didn't really feel like home anymore when there was nobody else there. She tried calling Ruby, but she was busy – she usually was, though. Her job was an endless cycle of moving children back and forth between homes. Belle tried not to think too hard about it, because Bae had come so close to being one of them. The thought of her little boy being shuffled between foster families and his birth mom was enough to drive her almost all the way to tears which she didn't want to shed. Not today, not ever.

She couldn't stay alone all day, dammit. She needed a distraction, but with Ruby busy and Arthur at a funeral her pool of friends was dangerously low. At what point had being a mom completely taken over her life? She sighed, at least if she was going to be old and boring she could do something productive. Which is how she found herself cleaning out her purse in the living room.

Something caught her eye as she went through the receipts in her wallet. She'd forgotten that George gave her his card. She'd had so much else going on that her ex-boyfriend's phone number was hardly her chief concern. But well, they were supposed to be trying to get on with their lives, weren't they? Anyway, it wasn't like she was going to marry him this time. He'd asked her to coffee. Coffee was practically platonic. She could do coffee, just to catch up. This didn't need to be anything major.

So why did it feel major when she was walking into the cafe and he was sitting there anxiously checking his phone?

"Hi," she said as she approached his table. He almost dropped the phone he was so startled.

"Oh hey," he replied, standing up and giving her a big smile. "I was starting to get worried."

"I'm not late," she said as she sat down.

"I know," he said sheepishly. "I was just worried you'd change your mind."

"I think it'll be nice to catch up," she reassured him. And she was pretty sure it would be, actually. Just being in the room with him felt different. He was one of the few people who had known her as Belle, not Bae's mom.

"So," he said. "What have you been up to since college?"

"Mostly Bae," she replied. "But I've been running the flower shop, too. Nothing too terribly exciting. What about you?"

"Well," he began. "After we broke up I kind of bummed around a little bit, tried to figure things out."

"How'd you end up as a deputy?"

"It was a total fluke, actually," he admitted. "I ran into one of the guys from the soccer team back in college and he's the one who told me about the opening on the force. So I took the exam, and aced it. Turns out to have been the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Well, I didn't have much of a reason to get up in the morning for a little while there. Now I do."

"What do you mean?"

"Finishing college was kind of rough," he explained. "I went from knowing exactly where I was going every day to...nothing. Then suddenly I had something I had to do, and it was important. There were people counting on me. I know it's kind of ridiculous, but yeah."

"It's not ridiculous," she said. "I think it's great you have something like that. I've never really loved anything but Bae."

She realized what she was saying immediately after it was out of her mouth, but it was too late to call the words back into her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I didn't mean it like that."

"No, it's fine," he replied. "We were a crappy pair."

"It wasn't all bad," she reminded him, suddenly defensive for reasons she couldn't understand. "You were a pretty good boyfriend, all things considered. I just wasn't really ready yet, I don't think."

"What about now?"

The conversation had taken a turn for the deep, but Belle was surprised that she didn't really mind. Things had been so confusing lately between Milah's return and Arthur's appearance and her entire life was in turmoil. This...this was safe.

"Now..." she said with a shrug. "I might be."

She could make this work.

Arthur never liked funerals, and the fact that he'd been married to the woman in this casket wasn't helping him at all. Bae was there, though. He had to keep it together for his son. He hadn't seen Milah's sister since right after the wedding – Carol hadn't really approved of her sister's lifestyle or, by extension, her choice of husband. He'd called ahead of time to let her know Bae would be there, and been surprised when she'd been so warm to the idea. Granted, he would have taken Bae regardless but he was glad that at least Bae would be able to meet her.

They met outside the church before the funeral. Carol looked creepily like her sister, though without the hard lines and jutting bones of the last time he'd seen Milah.

"Hello, Arthur," she said when she saw them approach. "This must be Bailey."

"Yes," he replied. "Bae, this is your birth mom's sister, Carol."

"Hi," Bae said, taking her outstretched hand.

It was a sedate conversation. Neither adult particularly wanted to discuss what had happened with Bae there, but small talk felt too trivial for the situation. In the end, he was glad that Bae had met her, but nothing would ever come of it. Carol had done her grieving for her sister when they were both young women. She'd had her own life and her own family, and didn't have room in it for Bae.

It always sounded strange to say a funeral was lovely. A funeral was a place you said goodbye to a dead person, and in that respect it had worked. He wasn't sure how Bae felt on seeing her this last time, but he was quiet and respectful and Arthur was so damn proud of how strong his son was.

They ended up skipping the cemetery and the wake, instead going to a diner and getting lunch. He couldn't help but be reminded of the first time he'd taken Bae out to a meal. It was the night they went to see Spider-man and Bae had confessed to having trouble in school. That had felt like such a victory at the time. He'd been so excited about the prospect that Bae might actually open up to him, and now here he was with a heartbroken little boy in mourning. Who'd have ever thought they'd have come so far in so short a time. In a way, he missed that. He missed when it was so simple and all he needed was Bae's love.


	34. Chapter 34

It was really, really lucky that the local drive-in showed second run movies. After everything that had gone wrong this week, Arthur and Belle had decided it was time for a family night and _Guardians of the Galaxy_ was still running if they didn't mind hanging out in the car, which they most certainly did not.

It was the first time Bae had seemed invested in anything since the funeral.

The three of them were cuddled under a blanket sitting in the hatchback of Belle's SUV, Bae in the middle and popcorn in his lap. It was almost just like old times – almost. Belle had been on two dates with her ex this week, and he wasn't really sure how he felt about it. Well, no, he knew exactly how he felt about it. His problem was that the wasn't sure how to stop feeling that way. He had no real claim on Belle, and she was free to date whoever she wanted even if she happened to want to date a too-tall sheriff's deputy with a funny looking haircut and broad shoulders. Maybe George McNabb was what you would call "handsome" but it was in such a nondescript way. What did she see in him, anyway? Besides the aforementioned broad shoulders and height.

He may be a little overly jealous, but he was working on it. This was certainly _not_ like what happened when she went on the date with Michael Tillman, and he wasn't sure what to do with that knowledge. He loved her, and it was now becoming very obvious that she didn't feel the same way. He couldn't blame her for that, but it still hurt.

He did have Bae now, though. He had the little warm boy who was real and alive next to him, and he would have Bae forever no matter what happened with Belle. And he wasn't that he had lost Belle, either. Belle was still here. She was still in his life (and the backseat of his car) and she was still his friend. This is all he'd really asked for to begin with, and he refused to be let down by actually getting it.

Granted, things had been a little touchy when Starlord's mother died and he was kidnapped (he wasn't sure either Belle _or_ Bae were going to get through that one but they'd surprised him). And the soundtrack was pretty good, too. He'd been surprised when he'd become a fan of these movies, but they were the key to Bae's heart. Whether or not they'd turned out to be any good, he'd have appreciated them just for that. By the time of the fake dance-off, Bae was relaxed against his father's arm and Belle had her arms around her son as she leaned against the both of them. It wasn't an uncommon arrangement for them, though perhaps she was holding her son a little tighter than usual, but that wasn't any kind of surprise. He took a chance, reaching his arm behind the both to rest on Belle's shoulder. She didn't flinch, and he wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it still felt good to have them both here for just this little while, regardless of what else it meant.

"Would you guys like to get ice cream?" Belle said as the credits rolled.

Bae looked surprisingly uninspired by the suggestion, but Arthur wasn't really ready to let them go yet.

"Ice cream sounds perfect," he agreed, offering her a smile. "Any Given Sundae?"

She nodded in agreement, hopping into the driver's seat and waiting patiently until seatbelts were fastened and everyone was ready before pulling out into the road and away from the theater.

He wasn't really sure where all this was going. It was a weird situation, when you came right down to it. He was stupidly, ridiculously in love with this woman. She was dating someone else, and he wasn't sure if was serious or not, but she was dating someone who wasn't him and it was slowly eating him up inside. He'd thought he was okay with a platonic relationship, he really had. He was going to have to be okay with it, because he had Bae to worry about and Bae was worth anything, but it was painful to accept.

Belle was beautiful, and she was entirely out of his league. He'd known that longer than he'd known her. This all made sense, in a twisted way. The beautiful girl, the handsome cop, and the creepy old guy who was mooning over her from afar. It had all the elements of a maudlin romance and none of the charm.

The blonde lady who ran the shop was, as always, offputtingly friendly. It was a good thing that her ice cream was the best in town or she'd have been out of business years ago. She made good sundaes, though, and that was really what was important.

Bae was still worryingly withdrawn. The longer it went on, the more concerning this was becoming. He still wasn't sure if they'd handled this all correctly, but as Dr. Hopper had pointed out there wasn't any one right way to handle death and all the could do was be supportive and wait for Bae to come around. He still wasn't sure that they had done the right thing by excluding Belle from the funeral, but then again there's no telling if her going would have turned out alright, either. Milah had been largely estranged from her family even by the time of their marriage, but by the time of the funeral he'd had no idea who might have been on her side. They hadn't wanted to risk someone causing a scene if Belle had gone, or further driving home the point to Bae that he wasn't allowed to love his mother and be sad about Milah's death at the same time.

Nobody ever said this would be easy, and the reappearance of George certainly wasn't doing him any particular favors in that regard. At least they'd kept him away from Bae, though. That much at least nobody had pushed for. She'd not seemed eager to bring anyone new into their son's life, and he appreciated the hell out of that. No matter how shitty and awkward the situation was, a new guy playing dad could really only make everything so, so much worse.

He didn't want to think about that, though. Not right now, not when everything was – at the moment – going as well as could be reasonably expected.


	35. Chapter 35

"How was school today?" Belle asked her son as he climbed into the car, even though she already knew the answer. It would be the same _fine_ she'd heard since...well, since Milah. But she would ask anyway, because he was her son and she had no idea what else to do to remind him that she cared.

"Fine," he mumbled without looking at her, his hair draped across his face just enough to obscure him from view.

Not that he'd ever been one to say much more than 'fine,' but he used to say it differently. It used to be an invitation to ask more, to poke and prod and get out which classmate had said something funny and what the most interesting thing he'd learned that day was. Now, it was a wall put up between them to keep her out. He was still hurting, and he wasn't read to let her help him face it yet. She understood that (after her father died she hadn't let anyone in until Bae). She wouldn't push him any further than Dr. Hopper approved of, but she would keep knocking until he let her in.

She glanced back in the rearview mirror – if he wouldn't look at her, she would still look at him. Bae was watching out the window, and he was so beautiful she wanted to cry. He didn't know she was looking at him right away, so she was able to glance back and forth between her son and the road. Something caught his attention, and he glanced away from the window for a moment, but it was all she needed to see the angry red bruise marring her son's cheek.

Belle slammed on the brakes so hard it was amazing she didn't cause a traffic accident and whirled around to face her son.

"What's on your face?" she demanded, throwing the car into park on the side of the road and spinning around to look at her son. "Who did that to you?"

"Nothing!" Bae retorted, keeping his face angled away from her as much as possible. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"That is not fine!" she insisted. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled. "It's fine."

Belle grimaced, throwing the car into drive and heading back towards the school.

"What are you doing?" Bae demanded. "Where are we going?"

"I'm going to talk to your teacher," she replied. "Because I need to know what is going on."

"Mom," he exclaimed as she parked in front of the school and unbuckled her seatbelt. "No! This isn't a big deal, I swear!"

He reached forward and tried to grab for her arm, but she whipped around to face him at that.

"If you don't want me to go in there, you need to tell me right now what happened to your face."

Bae paused at that, glancing back and forth between the school and his mother with an agitated look on his face. She put her hand on the door handle and prepared to get out of the car.

"I got into a fight," he finally mumbled. "After school while I was waiting for you to pick me up."

"Who were you fighting with?" she said as calmly as she could manage. "And why?"

"August," he replied, looking away.

That was a shock. She'd expected to hear about a bully or something, not a boy whose house her son routinely slept over at.

"What happened?" she repeated, a little calmer than before.

"We were talking about Halloween costumes," he said with a sigh. "August and Emma and I. We were talking about who we wanted to dress up as and I said I was going to be Thor."

"And?"

Bae took a deep breath before continuing.

"And August said I couldn't be Thor, I should be Loki instead because...because..."

She was pretty sure she knew what was coming next, and she wanted to make it have never happened but she had to hear it, because he'd had to hear it.

"Because?" she prompted, when he wasn't forthcoming.

"Because I'm adopted."

His voice was tiny, and it cracked on the last word and Belle was feeling the frothing rage working itself up and she was trapped between the warring urge to drive over there and give an eleven-year-old boy a piece of her mind and the knowledge that she couldn't be the one to decide whether Bae and August would remain friends. So she squashed the impulse to lash out down. Deep, deep down where it couldn't do any harm.

"What did you say to him?" she asked as calmly as she could. He had to know she wouldn't yell or blame him for what happened. He had to remember that she was always on his side.

"I told him to shut up," Bae replied guiltily. "And then I punched him."

Belle took a breath and counted to three before responding.

"Okay," she said softly. "Alright. I'm not mad at you, but your dad and I are going to have to talk about this. You can't just hit people though, Bae. No matter what he said."

He nodded gloomily, sitting back against his seat and folding his arms across his chest.

"Hey," she said as she put the car back into gear. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah," he replied automatically.

"No, Bae," she said as seriously as she could. "I love you more than anything. You are the single most important thing in my life. I chose you, and if I had it to do all over again I'd always choose you. I need to know that you know that."

He looked at her curiously, as though trying to suss out her meaning before he nodded at her.

"I know that, Mom," he said so quietly it was almost a whisper. "I've always known it."

"Okay then," she tried to put on a cheerful face as she said it and pulled back out into the road. "That's good."

Something had changed between her and Arthur lately, and Belle was hard-pressed to put her finger on what or how. Things had been going so well between them, and then Milah had died and then somehow it had all gone wrong. She didn't delude herself into thinking that her dating again had nothing to do with it, but she hadn't expected it to be this awkward to deal with each other. They'd both known the other one was free to date from the beginning, and quite frankly she _needed_ this right now. George was simple, Arthur was complicated. She wasn't really sure of her feelings for him any more than she was of his for her, and she wasn't sure of where they could possible fit into each other's lives with Bae. She needed something easy right now, something where she knew exactly where she stood and where it was going – something that didn't have the potential to break everyone's hearts.

Still, though, one thing she was sure of what that he was Bae's father and he needed to know what was going on. He was still at the pawn shop, just like Belle knew he would be as she pulled up outside. She'd had a little time to cool down and wasn't nearly as agitated as she had been when they left Bae's school, but she still wasn't particularly looking forward to telling him about this.

"Hey," he said, glancing up at the sound of the bell on the door. He sounded surprised when he saw her there, but whatever that was evaporated the moment he saw Bae. This, she decided, was why she had to force her emotions to stay platonic. His entire face lit up at the sight of her son. She couldn't risk Bae losing that, and she refused to risk losing it for herself, too.

Of course, that all changed the moment he took in the bruise on his son's face. It wasn't quite a black eye, it was a little lower actually and more on the cheekbone (August probably had a pretty sore hand if nothing else) but it was a little swollen.

"What happened?" he asked, coming around the counter. His voice had taken on a panic that she knew all too well.

"Your son got into a fight at school today," she said as lightly as she could. This was serious, but she didn't want Bae to feel worse than he already did. "This seemed like the sort of thing a father should probably handle."

She gave him a steady look, willing him to take her meaning, needing him to understand that he needed to be proud of Bae in this moment. He needed to do that obnoxious thing dads did when their sons got into fist fights where they faked being angry all the while talking about how tough their kid was. He needed to make Bae feel like a grown up, and he needed to make Bae feel loved and wanted and remind him that he wasn't _just_ adopted anymore than he was _just_ an accident of genetics. He had two parents who had both done everything in their power to be with him, and he needed to feel that more than ever. Belle would spend the evening watching movies in pajamas and making cocoa and being there, but this part was something that was better coming from a dad.

Luckily, Arthur seemed to understand at least a little bit.

"Did he now?" he was talking to Bae, but his eyes never left Belle as he watched for her signals. "Well, I think I have some ice in the back. Why don't you hop up on the stool so I can get a good look at you?"

Bae nodded, dropping his backpack on the floor by the counter and climbing up onto the stool his dad kept behind the counter so he could do homework. Arthur made a show of tilting Bae's head back and moving it around so it would catch the light at different angles.

"That's a pretty nasty bruise," he remarked lightly. "But I should probably see the other guy, huh?"

Bae almost smiled at that, and Belle breathed a silent sight of relief.

"How does August look, by the way?" she broke in. It hadn't occurred to her in the car, but she really needed to know all the details before she spoke to August's dad.

"I split his lip open," Bae confessed. "And I think he hurt his hand on my face."

"I think there's some ice in the back," Arthur said finally. "Let me see if I can find any to put on that bruise of yours."

He gave Belle a curious look before ducking behind the curtains. She followed him closely, reminding Bae to stay at the counter and not to move.

"What the hell happened?" Arthur said sharply as soon as she was far enough into the back that their voices couldn't carry too far. "He spends two days at your house and he's coming home with bruises?"

She was instantly defensive, which she hated. They needed to be a team on this, not at each other's throats.

"He got into a fight _at school_," she shot back. "It's hardly the first time two little boys ever threw punches, you know."

"So if it's that unimportant," he challenged, digging a plastic bag out of a drawer and moving to the little drink fridge he kept back there for Bae. "Then why did you bring him here?"

"Because he needs you," she replied. "He needs his father to tell him he did good even if he didn't."

"What happened, Belle?" he finally asked. "This sounds absolutely insane."

"One of his friends made a comment about him being adopted," she replied. "And Bae hit him."

"Which friend?" his voice was hard and a little dangerous and she regretted telling him that part already.

"Does it matter?"

"It matters to me," Arthur growled. "I need to know who to destroy."

"Alright, first off," Belle interrupted, grabbing his arm to hold him in place before he could storm out there and begin demanding directions to the Booth house. "The kid is eleven, so calm down. Second, he's one of Bae's closest friends so this will probably be all over by next week. And third, August's mom died last year. He's probably at least a little jealous that Bae has two parents now."

"Well how am I supposed to know all of this?"

"You're supposed to trust that I have eleven years of context here," she replied. "And that I have his best interest at heart."

"So what? I'm just supposed to go out there and tell him he did good?"

"No," she said, taking another deep breath and trying to calm herself down again. "You're supposed to go out there and make a fuss and let him feel how much you love him, and then I'm going to do the same tonight. Tomorrow I'm going to call August's dad to talk about it and then you and I are going to figure out some consequences for him. But right now this is the first emotion he's shown in two weeks so you need to go out there and put some ice on your son's face and be proud of him, okay?"

Arthur seemed conflicted, but he finally nodded and began to walk back towards the curtain that divided the back room from the shop.

"This conversation isn't over," he promised her before he was gone from view. Somehow, it had never even crossed her mind that it was.


	36. Chapter 36

anonymousnerdgirl said: Adoption!verse- Bae has a crush on a his teacher's daughter. He goes to his dad for advice. Anonymous said: I love your adoption verse. If you're still taking prompts, maybe Bae is friends with Emma, his teacher's son, but lately their classmates have stepped up the teasing about his best friend being a girl, and he tells Gold. Except what does someone like Gold know about making friends, keeping them, or ten year olds? Bae's too young for romantic advice, but Gold's starting to think he could use some himself.

Bae had grass stains on the back of his shirt and his pants today. He'd clearly been in a fight again. It didn't look like it had been a bad one, but Arthur couldn't help wondering how long this was going to last and whether or not they should all go to some more therapy over it.

"Did August say something to you again?" he asked his son as the boy climbed into the car, but Bae looked surprised and then shook his head. "Then what happened?"

He was mentally bracing himself to hear about some other child bullying his son, some other crisis to avert, but that's not what happened. Instead, Bae blushed and glanced away towards the school. Arthur followed his son's line of sight, but didn't see anything particularly interesting, just the usual assortment of children.

"Bae?" he prompted.

"Can I ask you a question?" Bae replied.

"You can ask me anything," Arthur reassured him.

"What do you do when you like a girl?"

Well, _that_ was certainly an unexpected question. And Arthur was not at all prepared to deal with this. What did other men do when they liked girls? So far, his patented method of 'pretending like he didn't like her while secretly hoping she'd suddenly decide to make the first move' hadn't yielded great results. Well, his complete inability to even approach Belle had gone swimmingly for George, but that really wasn't going to help Bae with whatever was going on.

"Was the fight over a girl?" he prompted his son, hoping to divert his attention.

"Sorta," Bae admitted. "Emma kissed me. And then she pushed me and ran away."

"She _pushed_ you?"

"Yeah," Bae said with a shrug. "I fell over, but it didn't really hurt or anything. Mostly I was surprised."

This was a level of parenting Arthur wasn't sure he was prepared for. He knew that Emma and Bae had a tendency to be at each other's throats constantly, but Belle had never mentioned them being physically violent. That was something he was fairly certain he would have remembered.

"What led up to her kissing you?" Arthur asked. He was mostly hoping to stall having to answer his son, but who knew? It may provide some insight he needed to give good advice.

"Some of the girls were making fun of Emma because we hang out so much," he said dispassionately. "I told them to stop so then they started singing about us sitting in a tree. So we ran away and hid for a little while."

"And then she kissed you?"

Bae nodded.

"She kissed me," he said slowly. "But after a minute she stopped and then I don't know, she looked really confused and she pushed me over and ran away."

"Ah," Arthur replied. It was actually all coming into focus, because he could totally understand the impulse to kiss someone and run away. "Well, son, it sounds like Emma probably likes you."

"Then why did she push me?"

"Because sometimes when people like you, if they don't know how to handle it they can react strangely. Which doesn't mean she was right to push you, and I'll have to talk to your mom about it, but I think probably that's what happened with Emma. She likes you and she isn't sure how to handle it."

"That's weird," Bae said simply.

"It is," he admitted. "But that sort of thing can be confusing for everyone, especially when it's your first love."

Bae looked at him suspiciously, but didn't argue or ask any further questions. Arthur was fairly relieved, actually. This was not something he really felt qualified to handle. He was never what could be referred to as a lady's man even at his prime, and it had been a long time since he'd even tried. Things with Belle were barely worth mentioning, and he really had nothing else going on in his love life. He'd hoped to have a little more time before Bae would want this sort of help, but since when could he count on actually getting what he wanted?

"Do you really have to tell mom?" Bae said softly. "I don't want her to worry."

"You won't be able to hide it," Arthur pointed out. "The back of your clothes are completely covered in grass stains."

"We can tell her something else," Bae replied. "Tell her I tripped in PE."

"She's your mother," he reminded his son. "She needs to know what's going on. Anyway, I don't think she'll be as worried as you think."

"You don't?"

"She's had you for a long time," he reassured his son. "I think she's made of sterner stuff than all that."

Bae grimaced a little, but nodded in reluctant agreement with his father's plan. Now Arthur just had to actually sit down and discuss it with Belle. Fantastic.

Things between them had become a little strained lately, mostly because he'd been avoiding having any serious conversations with her since Bae got in his last fight. He hadn't handled that day well and he knew it – he wouldn't admit it, necessarily, but he knew it. If he hadn't insinuated that she'd been neglectful, he might have apologized by now, but after that...he wasn't entirely sure that she'd forgive him if he _did_ apologize and he was self-aware enough to know that his pettiness over her new boyfriend (was George her boyfriend? He hadn't asked because he didn't want to know the answer and she hadn't volunteered it) wasn't going to go away just because he wanted it to. If he did try to apologize, he was entirely likely to randomly insult her intelligence and accuse the other man of only being with her for the sex. Assuming, of course, they were having sex. He knew they'd had sex when they dated before, but had no idea about now. He didn't want to know now. He didn't really want to think about now. Oh God, why couldn't he stop thinking about now?

He couldn't blame Belle, really. He hadn't ever actually told her he had feelings for her (except that one time it kind of slipped out, but he wasn't sure she'd really understood him, either) and he'd definitely never made any move. She'd gone out with the man who asked. It was really just that simple. Arthur really halfway hated himself for being so angry about it, or at least for letting her know of his disapproval. But somehow not having any real right to be jealous hadn't really helped him _not_ be jealous.

This, he knew, was not a healthy situation for anybody. He was being a jealous bastard, Bae was only now starting to come back out of his shell after Milah's funeral, and Belle was...he didn't know what Belle was doing, in fact. They'd been so close to something beautiful as a family, and now he wasn't sure if it was even salvageable anymore. That's the part that broke his heart the most, he decided. For the second time he'd lost his family. It had taken him ten years to regain this one, would he ever get another chance? Could he even blame Milah this time, now that she was dead?

He wasn't above wondering if she'd done it on purpose to spite him. He hated thinking that. The police had said that they couldn't determine if it were an accident or a suicide, just that there was no sign of foul play. She was clearly distraught at the time she'd taken the drugs (she'd just lost Bae again, after all) but that could lend itself to either interpretation with equal ease – either she decided to end it all or she was simply trying to forget. It was egocentric to even imagine that she'd thought of him in her last moments, but he'd meant something to her once hadn't he? But no, he was fairly sure that Bae would have been on her mind no matter what. He'd been the one thing she seemed to have wanted more than the drugs in those last few weeks.

Maybe he'd discuss this at their next session with Dr. Hopper – or maybe he'd get himself some private sessions. He couldn't lose his family again. He needed Belle and Bae more than he'd ever needed anyone else in his life.

He felt a strange kinship to Emma at that moment, stuck between the warring urges to love Belle and to shove her away where she couldn't possibly hurt him. Which didn't mean he still didn't need to talk to Belle about it, because he felt like this was something modern parents were supposed to deal with differently than his parents had (when he was a child, 'that means she likes you' was the end of the conversation after all) and she and Mary Margaret would want to have a series of long talks about appropriate emotional outlets. Maybe he should sit in on one or two of those, the information couldn't really hurt.


	37. Chapter 37

accio-firewhiskey said: Adopt ex prompt: gaston plays soccer with bae, gold is incredibly jealous

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to talk about today?" Dr. Hopper said it to both of them, but he was looking at Arthur. Belle was sure there was plenty he wanted to talk about, but he didn't seem to want to say any of it to her. It was almost Halloween, and he'd spent the last three weeks carefully not talking to her about anything of substance.

"No," Arthur finally replied. Dr. Hopper looked over at Belle who just shrugged.

"You know," Dr. Hopper continued. "You two will only get out of this what you both put in. This is a safe place."

"There's nothing to talk about," Arthur said with a shrug. "Everything is going swimmingly."

"And would you agree with that, Belle?"

Belle took a deep breath, trying to put her thoughts into order. She didn't want to have this conversation any more than Arthur did, but this was important. Her relationship with her son's father was too important to throw away like this.

"We haven't been speaking as much lately," she finally explained.

"Is that true, Arthur?" Dr. Hopper asked.

"We talk every night," Arthur argued. "We always have."

"You know it's not the same anymore," Belle replied. "We don't talk about anything except Bae."

"What should we talk about, then?" he said sharply. "Your new boyfriend, perhaps?"

"Why would we talk about George?" she was legitimately confused. She didn't like to merge those two parts of her life. Arthur and George were entirely separate entities to her and they fulfilled very different functions. It irked her that this had to be an issue.

"We wouldn't," Arthur shot back, crossing his arms and leaning against the back of the sofa next to her.

"Arthur," Dr. Hopper said evenly. "It sounds like Belle dating bothers you. Would you like to talk about that?"

"I don't think I would," Arthur was intentionally being difficult and she knew it, but it didn't make him any easier to deal with. "In fact, I'm fairly certain I'd like to discuss nearly anything else."

"You mean like how you're refusing to discuss things in therapy?"

He was about to snap back at her, but Dr. Hopper was quick to interrupt.

"Alright," he said in his soft voice. "Let's try using feeling words. Belle, when Arthur refuses to talk in therapy, how does that make you feel?"

Half of her wanted to slap the therapist and tell him to mind his own business, but she was fairly certain that would definitely be the wrong move for their continued success in counseling.

"It feels like he's not taking this very seriously," she said with a sigh. "Like I'm putting in more effort than he is."

"Oh well, in that case you're right and I'm wrong and you're the better parent," he was near to shouting now. "Is that what you want me to say?"

"No," she grumbled. "What I want you to say is that you're going to work on this."

"Arthur," Dr. Hopper interrupted. "I think what Belle is saying is that when you're distant it makes her feel like you're not as invested as she is."

"I'm every bit as invested," Arthur said darkly. "Maybe even moreso. This is literally all I have and she knows that!"

She hated when he talked like that. She didn't want to be everything to him, she didn't want to be everything to anyone – not even to her son.

"You know that's not true," she said dully, even though she knew it was a lie as she said it. "You have your work."

He gave a dark little smile when she said it, and something in her rebelled a little and refused to be intimidated.

"You can't expect me to want to be that," she said quietly. "I want to be your friend and your family. I don't want to be all you have."

He deflated a little bit and Dr. Hopper looked like he was about jump in when Arthur continued.

"You can have more children and another family," he said. "I can't."

"You're not that old," she replied. "You say that, but you could date if you chose to. You can't make this about me because it's not."

He didn't answer her this time, just grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the couch again.

"Do you think," Dr. Hopper ventured. "That Belle is right? That you choose not to date?"

"I think that's something I'd rather not discuss," Arthur shot back. "This is supposed to be about Belle and I, not about me."

"_You_ are a vital part of this relationship," Dr. Hopper reminded them both. "Parenting is a team effort, and if one part of the team is having a crisis, the whole team is in crisis."

Belle really wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't sure what was going on, or what to do about it. He was surly, and she was trying very hard not to know what that meant because the alternative was too damn scary to think about. He'd started this routine up a few weeks ago, not long after Milah's death and George reentering Belle's life. She wasn't sure which one of the two events she would prefer to have caused this behavior change. He used to be her closest friend, and now he only barely returned her calls.

"Arthur," she said softly, taking the risk and reaching out to put her hand on his. He looked like he might run for a moment, but seemed to resign himself to her touch. "I miss you. I miss being your friend. Please, tell me what's wrong."

He was looking between her and Dr. Hopper like he was trapped, and she could feel him trying to fight the urge to clench his fist before all the fight seemed to go out of him.

"She let her boyfriend play soccer with my son," he muttered.

"That's it?" she blurted out before she could stop herself. George had gone with her to one of Bae's soccer practices and had helped him run some drills while waiting for everyone else to show up. Arthur had shown up while they were in the process of learning how to juggle the ball with their feet. It had been absolutely nothing. It hadn't seemed like a big deal at the time, and he hadn't said anything...but she knew how important sports were to him. Maybe she should have known.

"That's it," he snarled, yanking his hand away from hers. "Forget I said anything."

"No, I'm sorry," she said as softly as she could. "I know how much sports mean to you. Honestly, it didn't even occur to me that you'd be jealous of him and Bae."

"Who said I was jealous?" he snapped a little too fast, and Belle shot a glance to Dr. Hopper hoping for someone to explain what she was trying to say.

"How did you feel when you saw George playing with your son?" Dr. Hopper asked, looking intently at the two of them.

Nobody spoke for awhile as Arthur looked between them like a rabbit trapped in a snare.

"Well it certainly wasn't pleasant," he grumbled. "She's free to date whoever she wants to, but she knows that there are things I can't do with Bae and no, I don't like watching her boyfriend do those things."

"Belle," Dr. Hopper turned his gaze towards her for the first time in this conversation. "How did you think he would react to that?"

"I...I don't know," she admitted. "I really didn't think. I'm sorry."

"It's nothing," Arthur replied flippantly. "Forget I said anything."

"No," she insisted. "You have to listen to me. I didn't think anything of it because you're Bae's dad. He loves you and absolutely nobody is ever going to take your place. So I didn't think it would be a problem and I'm sorry."

"It's fine," he said, looking away from her. "You don't need to apologize."

She sighed, leaning towards her side of the sofa.

"I don't think this is fixed," she said after a minute. "I think you're still angry."

He didn't reply, and she knew she'd hit a nerve.

"What do you think about what Belle is saying?" Dr. Hopper broke in. "That she doesn't feel like your issues are resolved. How do you feel about that, Arthur?"

"She apologized," he replied stiffly. "I think she was sincere, and I think that has to be the end of it."

"But you're still upset with her?"

"What does it matter?"

"It matters to me," Belle said a bit sharper than she meant to. "It matters to me because you're my friend and I love you and I just want things to go back to the way they were before."

"I think we're past that," Arthur said and he sounded so tired and resigned she just wasn't sure what to say to him. "I think we're past the point of pretending like this isn't changed."

"Over twenty minutes of soccer?"

"Over everything!" he finally shouted. "Over the entire last month! Over...over everything we've gone through together you go out and start dating without even telling me.

"Why is this so important to you?" She shouted back. "Why are you making this into such a huge event? I'm an adult, I'm allowed to have a social life. Why are you so angry?"

She heard Dr. Hopper telling them both to calm down, but the blood was rushing through her ears from her anger and all she could do was watch him and try to calm her racing pulse as she waited for his answer.

"I think you know why," Arthur said in a whisper. "Don't make me say it. After everything else, please don't make me say it."

The sound of her pulse was a roar now and she had forgotten how to breathe. This was too much. It was too much to even think about. It had been too much when she'd confronted him over what Abigail had told her, and it was far too much now that he had all but said it. There was no coming back from it if he did, no pretending like things had only ever been simple between them. She both needed to hear it and couldn't bear the thought of it spilling out of him. She didn't have an answer if he said it.

It was really that simple. Belle didn't have an answer. She loved him. She'd loved him for months, but was she in love with him? She was attracted to him, and her rebellious mind flashed back to the dreams he'd haunted since their vacation and reminded her of the times she'd laid awake and just _wondered_. But she'd never thought it beyond that, never dreamed it would happen. Did she even want it to?

And then, as always, there was Bae. There was her son – their son – and this was his father who he loved. Bae would suffer any consequences, of that she could be certain. What could she say, when either answer would risk her son's happiness? Either answer had the potential to destroy his family. And she just didn't know. She saw countless paths sprawling out before her. He said it and she said no, and things were ruined. He didn't say it, and things limped along as they had been until they eventually fell apart. He said it and she said yes and in a few years when things didn't work anymore Bae's heart would be broken. He said it, she said yes, and they lived happily ever after. She saw a flash in her mind's eye of a child who was a mix of both of them in her arms and she wasn't sure if she was terrified or excited.

Dr. Hopper had been quiet since their last outburst, and Belle suddenly became very aware of his presence. She couldn't have this conversation in front of someone else, and she still didn't have an answer. The room was becoming stuffy and she couldn't breathe. She had to be someplace else, because there was _too much_ here and it had pushed all the air out. She struggled to her feet.

"I'm sorry," she heard herself murmuring as she rushed out the door into the lobby and into the restroom, locking the door behind her as she broke down and cried.

She had botched it all, and now whatever it was...it was too late. She'd made a mess of everything.


	38. Chapter 38

Anonymous said: Adoption!verse: Gold gets injured fairly seriously somehow, and Belle discovers that he's listed her as his emergency contact when the hospital calls her. (Side prompt: Gold says he'll hire a nurse for a couple of days until he's good on his own, but Belle will have none of it.) Truerumbelle said: How about for adoption verse - Gold has a severe allergic reaction that scares both Belle and Bae. Bae's holds his dad for the first time tells him he loves him and wants nothing to happen to him. Or just his reaction of being so afraid of losing his dad doesn't go unnoticed. Just as Belle's reaction doesn't go unnoticed by Bae.

It had been a couple days since their disastrous therapy appointment. By the time Belle had gotten it together enough to leave the restroom, Bae was in his appointment and Arthur was gone. She'd tried a few times to get up the nerve to text him to explain, but honestly what could she say? _Sorry for running away before you could spill your heart to me, but I couldn't decide if I'm in love with you or not_ somehow seemed a little bit too honest for her right now. She'd sent messages informing him of Bae's whereabouts and if anything he needed to know about happened, but his responses had been monosyllabic single word replies for the most part, only once wishing her a good night. They were at a turning point, and Belle had no idea where to go from there.

She'd thrown herself into work, for the most part. If she wasn't with Bae, she was at the shop arranging flowers or working on the books or filling orders or micromanaging in a way she'd always tried not to do. Doing anything besides working led to thinking, thinking lead to overthinking, and Belle wanted nothing more than to forget.

She was elbows deep in an arrangement of calla lilies and irises when she heard the phone ring.

"Anton," she called out. "Can you get that?"

He said something in reply, but she couldn't quite understand him. The ringing stopped, though, so she went back to her arrangement. She was in the process of trimming some of the stems down when she heard Anton calling her from the front.

"Yeah?" she replied, still not quite understanding him.

"I said," he replied, leaning into her little sanctuary from the front with a worried look on his face. "That it's for you. It sounds important."

"Can you take a message?"

"It's the hospital, Belle," he said bluntly. "They won't tell me what's wrong, they'll only speak to you."

She dropped the stem cutter on the floor with a clatter and rushed out to pick up the phone from where it sat on the front counter.

"Hello?" she said into the receiver.

"Is this Belle French?" the voice on the other end asked.

"It is."

"Ms. French, there's been an emergency…"

"Is Bae okay?" she blurted out. Bae had to be okay. He was at school, the school would have contacted her. He _had_ to be okay or…

"Who?"

"Bailey," she hurried to say. "My son. Bailey Gold-French."

"This isn't about your son," the voice explained kindly. "Mr. Arthur Gold has been brought into hospital, and you're listed as his emergency contact…"

"Which hospital?" Belle interrupted, her anxiety skyrocketing again in spite of her relief at Bae's safety. "What's wrong?"

"He's been admitted to Storybrooke General," the voice replied. "He should be okay, but he's heavily sedated and we need someone on hand who can make decisions for him…"

"I'll be right there," she replied firmly, hanging the phone up and going towards the back to get her purse.

"Anton!" she called out, pausing when he poked a head out to look at her. "I have to go. Arthur's been in an accident and he's at the hospital. I'm sorry, I'll be back as soon as I can. Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Yeah, of course," he said, worry evident in his voice. He'd always liked Arthur. "Are you going to get Bae on the way?"

She hadn't thought of that. Bae's school was on the other side of town from the hospital. She'd have to add an extra half hour to the drive to go get her son, but she couldn't stand the idea of him being at school while his father could be dying across town. Someone had to get Bae.

Anton was out of the question, because she needed him here. Ruby worked 12 hour days most of the time with the kids under her care, so Belle knew not to bother her. She'd usually call for Ruby's granny in these situations but the older woman was visiting relatives out of town. That really just left her the one option, and after everything else she hated to do it to any of them, but time was of the essence.

She hated herself a little as she fished her phone out of her purse on her way to the car and dialed George.

The hospital staff was very kind, directing her towards the correct room and only yelling at her a little bit when she immediately sprinted down the hallway towards the elevator. By the time she got to the door of his room she had tears already threatening to overwhelm her. She still had no idea what was wrong. She could lose him, and neither one would ever really know…

He was sitting up in bed and looking out the window when she burst into the room. He looked over to her and almost smiled, before he seemed to remember what had happened and his face settled back into an expression she couldn't quite read.

"Hey," he said softly and, in response, she burst into tears.

"It's okay," he continued, panic seeming to set in at the sight of her. "I'm alright."

"I was so scared," she sobbed, coming to sit in the chair next to his bed. "All they told me was that you'd been admitted and that you were still unconscious."

"It's nothing," he replied. "A little spider bite, that's all. Apparently I'm allergic."

"I told you not to pick them up!" she nearly shrieked. "Just kill them!"

"Well, in the future I'll be taking your advice," he said soothingly. "But this time was an accident. I put my hand into a cupboard without looking first and I cornered him by mistake. I'm sorry I worried you."

"I'm just glad you're okay," she replied earnestly, her tears ebbing. "All I could think was what would happen if you weren't okay."

"You guys would be taken care of," he reassured her. "That was most of the custody agreement in a nutshell."

"Not like that," she said quickly, not wanting him to misunderstand her as she reached out to hold his hand. "I mean what would Bae and I do without _you_. We're a family now, Arthur. And all that entails. It doesn't work the same without you here."

"Oh," was all he said, looking down to where his hand rested in both of hers. She felt the warring urges to drop it and pretend like she hadn't reached out for him and to hold tighter and not let him go. His eyes flashed back to hers after a long moment and she tried to offer a reassuring smile.

"Bae's going to be so worried," she finally said, not sure why her voice had gotten so husky all of a sudden or why the air felt so thick.

"Bae is coming?" he said suddenly, sitting up a little bit.

"Well, yeah," she replied. "I wasn't sure what was wrong, I didn't want him to miss you."

"Who's picking him up?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to respond, but she was interrupted by Bae bursting into the room the same way she had earlier and flinging himself onto his father's bed. Arthur seemed a little surprised by the force of the child landing on him, but he had Bae in his arms and held tight almost immediately. It only took a second for her to realize that Bae was sobbing into his father's chest, at which point her every instinct screamed to comfort him.

Arthur was shushing his son already, holding the boy tight and seemingly just barely keeping himself from tears at the sight. There wasn't quite enough room for Belle to join them (not that it would have even been a little appropriate for her to do so) but even so, she had a hand on Bae's back and was rubbing up and down in little circles as her son just wept openly on his father.

"I was so scared," Bae finally sobbed into his dad's chest. "I can't lose you, too."

If anything, that statement renewed his parents' comfort of him. Arthur was holding him tighter and Belle leaned over to hug him as well as she could from her position on the outside.

"I'm alright," Arthur was whispering. "I had an allergic reaction to a little spider bite. But I'm okay, the doctor gave me some medicine and I'm completely okay."

"Are you sure?" Bae sniffled a little bit.

"Yeah," Arthur replied, tears still glistening in his eyes as he held up his bandaged hand. "See? All good. I just have to make sure not to poke at anymore spiders and I'll be perfectly fine."

Bae nodded, but didn't release himself from his father's lap and Arthur didn't make any move to move the boy, either. Belle petted her son's hair, silently offering support. It felt a little strange to be the outsider parent now, but she was just relieved that Arthur was okay and that Bae was _finally_ expressing some emotions. She glanced up to see if Arthur had made the same connection she had, only to find him staring intently at the door with a strange look on his face.

She turned and saw George standing awkwardly outside the room. Belle couldn't believe she'd forgotten him in all the confusion, but he caught her eye and gave a half smile before leaning through the open door just a bit.

"Hey, how ya feeling?" George said to Arthur.

"Better," Arthur said stiffly, glancing down at Bae. "Much better. Thank you."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it," George looked around the room quickly before finally looking back at Belle. "Can we talk outside for a second?"

"Yeah," she said quickly. "Sure. I'll be right back."

"I won't keep her too long," George promised, ducking back into the hallway.

Belle glanced back at her little family before following him out of the room.

"Hey, so I'm gonna go," George said as soon as she was out of sight of the other two.

"Yeah, sure," she replied. "That's a good idea, we'll probably be here awhile longer. I'll call you later, alright?"

"No," he said quickly, shaking his head a little. "That's not what I meant. I mean...you should be there, not with me."

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to lie to me," he said a little sadly. "I've known you a long time, remember? Belle, I can't be the reason your son's family isn't whole. I wouldn't have ever asked you out if I'd known how you felt, you know. I just want you and Bae to be happy."

"That's – that's not what…" she tried to think of what to say, but couldn't. Somehow, being confronted about her situation like _this_ made the whole thing so much more real. It wasn't something she could ignore anymore.

"I've never seen you look at a person the way you were looking at him," George explained softly. "Not me, not anybody. It's okay, it happens. I'm just happy you guys found each other."

"I'm sorry," she said finally, deflating a little. "I didn't mean for things to happen like this at all."

"I understand," he replied. "I do, believe it or not. I knew this was a long shot to begin with. We weren't really that great when we were together, were we?"

"We tried."

"We did," he agreed. "I wish I'd been able to be the person you needed back then. But I wasn't, and that's on me. But do me the favor of not pretending like what I saw in that room wasn't real. I'm not who you need, but I think maybe he is."

"You can't know that," she whispered back. "I don't know that."

"You're right," he agreed. "I don't. I just know that I'd hate to see you risk losing everything because you're afraid of losing everything, you know?"

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then it didn't work," he said with a smile. "Lots of things don't work, but that doesn't mean you don't try. Hey, if I can do it so can you."

She didn't answer him right away, just gave herself a minute to let his words sink in. He was right – she knew he was right. She'd been scared and she was letting that control her. She didn't want to be scared anymore.

"I'll see you around, okay?" he said, leaning in and kissing her gently on the cheek. "Thanks for the second chance, Belle."

"Thank you for the advice," she said with as much gratitude as she could manage. "I'm glad we ran into each other again."

"I am too," he replied. "I really am."

She watched his retreating form for a minute before gathering her thoughts and reentering the room. Bae seemed to have calmed down a little in her absence, and was currently sitting on the side of his dad's bed and chatting about school.

"Hey," Arthur said when he saw her. "Where's George?"

"He's gone," she replied. "We um, I'll explain later. But he's gone now."

"Oh, that's too bad," Arthur said without quite as much enthusiasm as she thought he meant. "I was hoping to thank him for getting Bae for us."

"I'm sure he'd have appreciated that," she replied, returning to her seat. "Did I miss anything interesting?"

While Bae explained their conversation, Belle felt her mind wander. She was still so confused, and this was neither the time nor the place to sort herself out, but just knowing where she was had given her strength. This was her family, and she would fight for them – but they would fight for her, too. She still didn't know what to tell Arthur, or when the time would be right, but at least now she knew where they were going and for the first time in a long time she felt completely at peace.

George had been right, this was exactly where she belonged.


	39. Chapter 39

anonymousnerdgirl said: Adoption!verse: Belle and Ruby have a girl's night in to sip wine and watch movies. A few drinks in Belle confides to Ruby that the protagonist of the movie they're watching (about a troupe of amateur male strippers from Sheffield) reminds her of Arthur. Ruby accuses Belle of having a crush./]

"Why did you pick this movie, again?" Belle asked her friend, and holding a copy of _The Full Monty_ with her fingertips like it might be a little bit contagious. "Is this porn?"

"No, it's not _porn_," Ruby scolded, snatching her DVD back and popping it into the player. "It's a comedy. And I picked it out because it's a classic. Anyway, apparently you like Scottish guys now."

"I do not!" Belle snapped just a little bit faster than she had meant to and Ruby got a look on her face that Belle knew meant her friend hadn't believed a word of it. "Anyway, it's been too long since we got together. Let's talk about what's going on with you."

"Ugh," Ruby groaned dismissively. "Let's not talk about me. It's all been work and it's been miserable."

"That bad?"

"It's not all babies getting placed with their future mothers," Ruby reminded her. "A lot of it is really awful things. Bae got really lucky."

Ruby was right, of course. Belle didn't like thinking about how lucky Bae really had gotten, because thinking about that led to thinking about how easily he could have been one of the many, many kids that weren't lucky – the ones Ruby spent her days trying to rescue and her nights worrying about. The fact that Bae hadn't slipped into those cracks was a miracle of timing, a one in a million chance. If Milah had waited another eight hours, or even given him up a few hours earlier, he'd be God-knows-where now. She'd have missed out on the best thing that had ever happened to her, and also on his father.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Belle finally said, dropping down onto the sofa and picking up the bag of popcorn that they'd made earlier. "Sports? The weather?"

"I was pretty happy with your love life," Ruby replied, sitting down next to Belle and grabbing a glass of wine off the end table. "Come on, I haven't been on a date in months. At least let me live vicariously."

"There's nothing to tell," Belle insisted, picking up her own glass.

"Uhh, I'm sorry," Ruby scolded. "I didn't realize that going out with your college boyfriend until he dumps you because you're in love with someone else who clearly has feelings for you counted as 'nothing.' Gee, my nothing isn't nearly that interesting."

"He didn't _dump_ me," Belle replied. "Being dumped implies that he was my boyfriend, and he wasn't. We weren't sleeping together or anything."

"Sure you weren't," Ruby said flippantly.

"We weren't!" Belle insisted. "Not since college, anyway. We only went out for like, three weeks this time. That's not long enough."

"Wait, really?" Ruby replied, pausing the film in the middle of some kind of steel girder heist. "You didn't do _anything_?"

"Just watch the movie," Belle snapped, grabbing for the remote and unpausing the film.

"I'm sorry," Ruby said after a few minutes. "I know it's not really my business or anything."

"No," Belle huffed. "It's really not."

"But I am your best friend," Ruby continued. "If you're gonna talk about it with someone it might as well be me."

Belle glared, but Ruby just gave her most innocent smile. Damned if she wasn't right, too. Belle had no freaking clue what the hell to do, but maybe Ruby might. Ruby had done her fair share of dating in school, anyway; and she'd never been completely terrified of dating a man she actually liked. Maybe some perspective might be good here.

"George thinks I'm in love with Arthur," Belle finally said with a sigh. "That's why he ended things."

Ruby shrieked a little bit and Belle grimaced.

"I'm sorry," Ruby replied, trying to calm down some. "I just...I've never heard you say the words 'I'm in love' before."

"Stop putting words in my mouth," Belle said. "You know what I meant."

"I do and I don't care," Ruby said with a giggle. "I just mean those words have never actually passed your lips in that order. Anyway, are you in love with him?"

"No," Belle replied on instinct. "Well, I don't know."

"How do you not know?"

"I mean I don't know," she said honestly. "It's complicated, anyway."

She turned back to the screen, just in time to catch that something was going on between Gaz and his son – the accents in this movie were really just too thick. She was used to Arthur's accent, blunted by years of living in the US, these ones were heavier and as much as she liked them she found them nearly unintelligible.

"How complicated can it be?" Ruby sounded entirely reasonable and Belle hated it. "Does he like you?"

"I think so," Belle admitted. She could deny a lot of things, but she didn't think that was really one of them anymore. "I mean, I don't have a lot of experience with that kind of thing, but I think he does like me."

"And you like him?"

Belle chewed on her lip a little. She'd never really admitted this out loud, she realized. She'd agreed with George, but she'd never actually said it out loud. Ever.

"I do," she finally said. "I really, actually do like him."

"And does he know this?"

"Not a clue," she sighed, curling up on the sofa a little. "It's never come up."

"So tell him," Ruby said entirely reasonably. "Just sit him down and say, 'hey, I like you' and then kiss him. And then maybe take his pants off."

"Ruby!" Belle shrieked.

"What?" her friend said defensively. "How is my idea any worse than your current plan of _not_ telling him?"

"Because it's not that simple," Belle huffed.

"How is it not that simple?"

"What would we tell Bae?"

"Are you serious?" Ruby blurted out. "You're worried about Bae? Really? Belle, do you have any idea how many of my kids would be thrilled to be in this situation? Hell, do you know how thrilled I would be if any of the others had the problem that their mom and their dad actually _liked_ each other? No, they just have the parents who throw things and can't afford to buy food."

"That doesn't mean this isn't a real problem," Belle replied. "Just because other people have it worse."

"I know," Ruby said. "I just mean that on the grand scale of problems, this one is a good problem to have."

"But what happens if things don't work out?" Belle asked earnestly. "We'd get his hopes up and then dash them. What if we can't stand to be around each other or if things get awkward?"

"You literally just described every child of divorced parents ever," Ruby pointed out. "It's not the end of the world if you guys broke up. You already have a custody agreement in effect, you know. And there's nothing that says if you did break up you have to hate each other, anyway."

"Nobody really stays friends," Belle replied. "They all just say that."

"You can stay friends," Ruby shot back. "It's a different kind of relationship and you have to have different boundaries, but I'm friends with every guy I ever broke up with."

"You're friends with them on Facebook," Belle said with a grimace. "That's not really the same thing as having a child together."

"I've been friends with them in person, too," Ruby insisted. "But the last few years I haven't had a lot of free time is all. And whatever free time I do have I'm not spending with guys I've already had sex with."

Belle felt herself flushing a little bit at the turn of the conversation, and glanced back to the television just in time to see Gaz begin to take his shirt off.

"Is he stripping?" she gasped.

"I told you it wasn't porn," Ruby said with a giggle, turning the volume up a touch so that she could hear "You Sexy Thing" playing along with the dancing.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Belle replied teasingly as Ruby leaned over and put her head on her friend's shoulder.

"You love when I talk you into things," Ruby replied. "You'd have had way less fun in college if you didn't."

Belle smiled and put an arm around her friend. Ruby was right, of course. The two were unlikely friends, but they had been inseparable throughout college and when Belle looked back on her fondest memories of that time, a lot of them had started with letting Ruby talk her into something she didn't want to do at first. The two watched the film in silence for a little bit, giggling together at all the appropriate parts.

"I think I should meet Arthur sometime," Ruby mumbled towards the end. "Make sure he's good enough for you and Bae before this goes too far."

"You may be a bit late on that," Belle said softly. "He's already pretty well lodged in our lives."

"Yeah, I know," her friend replied. "But still. If you're thinking of maybe being _more_, then I think I should scope him out a little. I do have a vested interest in you two, you know."

"You'll meet him at Thanksgiving."

"Not sooner?"

"With your work schedule?" Belle replied with a laugh. "But he'll be at Thanksgiving."

"What are you going to do in the meantime?"

"Pretend like I don't like him?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Ruby said, looking up at her. "And do you think that would even work?"

"Not really," Belle replied. "But it's worked for him so far, I guess."

"Has it really, though?"

"Has it what?"

"Been working for him," Ruby replied. "Like, do you think he's happy?"

Belle didn't have an answer for that, which surprised her. She'd seen Arthur nearly every day for months now and spent weeks at a time living with him. It hadn't even occurred to her that he might not be happy. He'd always just been there, and she'd thought he had to have been happy because Bae was there and he'd wanted his son for so long. But, Belle realized, she wasn't happy like this. How long had he been in the same situation she was in now, wanting and not wanting at the same time? The fear and the hope making such an awful contrast she just wanted to explode.

"I don't know," Belle finally said. "I hope he is."

"What are you honestly afraid of?" Ruby asked her so sincerely that Belle couldn't even be annoyed at the intrusion.

"I'm afraid that it'll hurt Bae," Belle said. "He's happy right now, and if we were to end things then it could change his relationship with his father – or with me."

"You know he'll never not love you," Ruby replied. "Or Arthur. That kid has more room in his heart than he has family members. You and I both know that wouldn't be a problem."

Ruby was right, of course. Belle hated to admit it, but Ruby frequently was right. Bae would never love his dad less, no matter what happened. No, if she could be honest with anyone it was Ruby.

"I'm afraid it will go badly," Belle said. "But I'm also afraid of it going well, too."

"Why?"

"Because…" Belle was struggling to put it into words, exactly. "Look, you know me. I was a virgin when I met George and there hasn't been anyone else since him. I'm not good at this kind of thing. At all. And it's so much more important now because I actually like him. What if I let things go badly? Or worse, what if it starts out really good and then I just let it all go to hell? I don't want Bae thinking that's what a relationship is supposed to look like – two people just sort of...making do."

"You know," Ruby said, poking Belle in the stomach. "There are two people in a relationship. It doesn't fall all on you to make it work. And anyway, you can't live your entire life afraid of this. Do you want to be alone the rest of your life?"

"No," Belle admitted reluctantly.

"Then you need to just pin him down and take his pants off," Ruby said triumphantly. "And also tell him you love him."

"I never said I love him!"

"We wouldn't be having this conversation if you didn't," Ruby replied. "If he was just a guy you thought was cute you wouldn't be worried about this."

Dammit. Ruby was too smart for Belle's comfort sometimes.

"I just don't know what to do," Belle admitted after a while. "I've never had to tell a guy I like him before."

"Oh honey," Ruby said, a long suffering ache to her voice. "We have _got_ to get you up to speed with middle school, don't we?"

"That's not funny," Belle said in a huff.

"Want me to ask him if he likes you?" Ruby teased. "Oh or you can write a letter with check boxes for 'yes' and 'no' so he can just check one off if he likes you!"

Belle started giggling in spite of herself and poked Ruby under her arm where she knew her friend was ticklish. Ruby squealed and pulled away as Belle pursued.

"Better idea!" Ruby exclaimed, giggling hard. "Why don't you write him an anonymous note and leave it in his locker? Or a candygram on Valentine's day!"

"Ruby!" Belle laughed at her friend. "This isn't funny!"

"Then why are you laughing?"

"Oh shut up!" Belle giggled, collapsing onto the sofa breathless from laughter as Ruby slithered to the floor. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Had the best friend in the world?" Ruby said innocently. "And also somehow survived high school with no idea how to approach boys. Did you just sit there prettily and let them all come to you?"

Belle stuck her tongue out at Ruby.

"Like you had trouble getting dates in high school," she shot back to her leggy friend. "Or ever."

"Doesn't mean I never had to work for them," Ruby said sweetly.

"This may come as a shock to you," Belle replied. "But I didn't date a lot before we met."

"Really?" Ruby said, sounding genuinely surprised for the first time in their conversation.

"Really," Belle admitted. "Why is that so surprising, anyway?"

"Because," Ruby said. "You're kind of beautiful, you know? And you're genuinely sweet and nice. You're the kind of girl guys are usually tripping over themselves over."

"Well, I just wasn't really into that," Belle replied softly. "I just always wanted something...more."

"Well, you've got a chance at that now," Ruby said. "What are you going to do to get it?"

That was the part that Belle couldn't be sure of, because what did you do when you couldn't decide whether you were more afraid of losing something or of getting it? So, instead, she turned her head to the television in time to see Gaz rushing onto the stage at the last minute in order to perform the final number.

She couldn't believe Ruby had made her watch this. It was such a stupid movie.

"This guy kind of reminds me of Arthur," Belle blurted out before she could stop herself. That was probably the wine talking.

"Which part?" Ruby asked. "The naked part?"

Belle grabbed a throw pillow and whacked Ruby on the head. Next time, she was going to pick the movie or this wasn't going to happen.


	40. Chapter 40

endangeredslug said: Prompt: Bae has a first date sort of (group date to a school dance?) they wait up for him and Belle falls asleep on Gold's lap. Dreams stuff and things. Gold gets to listen to the mumbling.

Belle had been just about to start dinner when the doorbell rang. It wasn't really unusual for that to happen, as Arthur made a habit of coming for dinner most nights (and still insisted on ringing the bell in spite of the fact that she had told him repeatedly he could just come in because she expected him at this point), but the fact that he was here when Bae wasn't was odd. He'd never come over when it was just her.

Still, it would be nice to see him. He'd been avoiding her since his near confession at their last therapist's appointment, and even though she'd spent twelve hours at his bedside during his hospital stay, Bae had been there the entire time and she'd been freshly dumped to go along with the revelation that she was in love with her son's father. It had not been one of her more engaged moments of co-parenting, and she wouldn't deny it.

"Hey," she said as soon as she got the door open. "Bae's not here."

So, that could have gone better as far as greetings went, but he'd looked so happy to see her for that split second before he could remember to cover it up and she hadn't known what to do, so she had panicked. All she could think of was Ruby's voice in her head telling her to take his pants off.

"Oh," he replied, seeming to need a minute to process her meaning. "Where is he?"

"He had a school dance," she reminded him. "I thought I told you, I'm sorry."

"No, you did," he replied. "For some reason I thought it was next week."

"Next week is Halloween," she said. "They're lucky they can get the kids to school when it's just for classes on Halloween."

"I can imagine," he said, smiling just a little. Just enough to tell her she was forgiven. "Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, then."

He turned to walk back to the car before her sluggish brain caught up with what was going on.

"Wait!" she called to him, stalling him halfway and causing him to turn around. "You don't have to go home just because Bae isn't here, you know. You can stay."

He was looking at her like he still wasn't quite sure what she was asking him.

"You can still have dinner," she continued when he didn't say anything. "With me, I mean."

She gave him a smile, hoping he'd take her offer and hoping he'd understand just exactly what she was actually _offering_ here.

"I'd like that," he said at last, coming back to the door and walking into the house after her.

Belle just really hoped she knew what she was doing.

"So why aren't you chaperoning?" he asked from his seat at the kitchen table while she put away the TV dinner that had been about to be her dinner and started taking out the ingredients for stir-fry.

"Oh," she replied. "I'm banned from chaperoning."

"Banned?" he said, sounding incredulous. "How on earth do you get _banned_ from chaperoning?"

"Not by the school," she clarified. "By Bae. I chaperoned a field trip last year and I yelled at one of the kids for trying to climb into a fountain at the art museum. Bae was horrified and refuses to let me attend these things ever since."

"You monster," Arthur said with a little grin at her. "Where will your reign of terror end?"

"Well, on the plus side it does free up my evenings," she replied. "And anyway, I think he wanted to be alone with Emma. Or as alone as he can be with her mom driving him."

Arthur didn't bother hiding his proud little chuckle at that. Belle was pretty sure she should probably think he was too young for girls, but he'd known Emma since the first day of preschool and she didn't really know how to start enforcing _girlfriend_ rules with her eleven-year-old anyway. Anyway, Mary Margaret would be there the entire time. It wasn't like he was really going to have a chance to get up to any trouble.

She busied herself with chopping vegetables, and trying very hard not to enjoy the little intimacy of cooking dinner and talking about her son with a man.

"Do you need help?" he said from closer than she had expected, and she realized that he'd come up behind her while she'd been distracted - while she'd been distracting herself.

"Can you chop the peppers?" Belle asked him, trying hard to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

He nodded and she handed him her knife before going to the fridge to get the leftover chicken she had planned to add to their meal. She'd never had a man help her cook, she realized. It was something she'd only really started doing after Bae, so there had never been the opportunity to do this before. It felt weird in a good way to stand just a hair too close to him as she heated the pan and started throwing stuff into it. Her kitchen was just a little too small for pairs cooking, but she didn't really mind the way their shoulders sometimes brushed or the feel of his body heat soaking into her skin at the parts that were nearest him. Oh God, she had it _bad_ didn't she?

This was ridiculous, she'd had dinner with Arthur before. She'd been on something that was damn close to a date with Arthur before, actually. She'd slept in a bed with him before. But she'd never been alone with him before, she realized. Not like this, anyway. There had always been somebody else in the house or the restaurant. Here, now, it was just the two of them. Bae wouldn't be home for hours still, and until then they were entirely alone. She felt like a tenth grader whose parents were out of town, and somehow she had to remind herself not to kiss him when he leaned around her to put the peppers into the stir-fry.

This was going to be a long night.

Somehow, Belle had talked him into waiting for Bae with her, which had turned into a movie, which had turned into her falling asleep with her head on his shoulder. Not that he minded at all - far from it, in fact. Her leaning on him was one of his guiltiest of pleasures, and sleeping on him was something he'd never known her to do but he couldn't have disliked it if he'd tried.

However, there was the issue that over the course of the film _her head on his shoulder_ had slowly morphed into _her head in his lap_. He was trying very hard to keep his thoughts platonic and G-rated, but she was snuggling a little bit and that was becoming very difficult. He tentatively reached out and put his hand on her face, brushing her hair back and was relieved when that seemed to relax her. Now that he could look his fill, he found his attention was completely drawn away from the film and onto her. Her face was so pale against the dark wool of his trousers, and she looked so lovely and peaceful – like a fairy tale princess waiting for her kiss.

Well _that_ was a trail of thought it was probably best not to spend too long on. Luckily, before he could get too maudlin and dramatic, Belle interrupted with a soft moan. At first, he thought he'd woken her with his soft caresses, but her eyes remained closed. A little whimper escaped her, then, and he realized she was dreaming. If anything, it was more endearing than before and he smiled down at her when she moaned his name and he completely froze. Was she dreaming about him?

She turned a little bit in her sleep and he could see a slight flush on her cheeks, and she let out another little moan through parted lips. Was she dreaming about...no. No, that couldn't be happening because she'd said his name. And Belle dreaming about him _like that_ was so far beyond the realm of possibility as to be ridiculous. But she was saying his name again and there were parts of his anatomy that were starting to take notice.

It was almost a relief when he felt her begin to stir, giving him time to turn his attention back to the television before she shot up so fast it made his head spin.

"I'm sorry," she said breathlessly, the flush still visible on her face and a thin sheen of perspiration on her chest. "Was I asleep long?"

"Not too long," he fibbed. "I barely noticed."

"Oh," she replied. "Okay. Good."

"It's not a very interesting movie," he said, offering her a way out.

"No, I guess not," she said back. "We could watch something else? Or talk? It's been awhile since we had an actual conversation."

"You never told me why you ended things with George," he said as noncommittally as he possibly could. "What did happen with that?"

Belle's cheeks were still flushed from whatever it was she'd been dreaming of, but he could recognize the way her breath caught just a little bit at the question for what it was – Belle was summoning her courage for what came next and it was all he could do to remain in this relaxed pose when he wanted to be on the edge of his seat with anticipation.

"He ended things with me, actually," she replied at last, watching him so intently with those startlingly blue eyes of hers that he felt trapped by her gaze.

"I knew he was an idiot," Arthur tried to tease but knew it fell flat. "You were too good for him."

She made a little humming sound in her throat and looked away before finally turning back to him.

"Actually," she said. "He broke up with me because…"

She had her lower lip between her teeth and she was still just _looking_ at him, and he didn't even dare to breathe because he couldn't risk missing what was coming next because he knew whatever it was it would be the most important thing he'd ever heard in his life. She was silent so long that he was afraid he might go mad, caught in this moment between knowledge and ignorance and just waiting for her to open up to him.

Finally, she took a deep breath and, seeming to steel herself for what would be next, she squared her shoulders towards him.

"He broke up with me because he realized I was in love with someone else."

It felt like the wind had been knocked out of his chest, and he was having trouble getting his thoughts into any kind of coherent order. What she'd said – what she was _almost_ saying – required something from him, some acknowledgment that he'd heard her and that he understood.

What he did finally do was blurt out a very confused sounding "oh?" because words were hard and if he didn't hear it from her he wasn't sure he'd ever believe it.

"Yeah," she replied sweetly, setting her hand on his knee in a way that had him all but jumping out of his skin. "Arthur, there's really no easy way to say this…"

"Mom, I'm home!" Bae's voice carried from the entryway as he slammed the door behind him.

Belle jerked her hand away from his leg and he felt the loss, but barely had time to register how cold the world felt without her touching him before Bae was bounding into the living room with a cheerful glow on his face.

"Oh, hey dad!" Bae said, coming to sit down with his parents. "Why are you here?"

"I forgot you had a dance," Arthur replied, hoping his voice sounded more normal than it felt.

"Oh, okay," Bae said, apparently accepting what his father had told him even though it felt like an excuse to Arthur.

"How was your dance?" Belle asked, looking at Bae as though she were afraid that breaking eye contact would send all three of them out into the void of space.

"It was fine," Bae replied, a sheepish blush beginning to creep into his cheeks.

"Did you dance with anyone?" Belle said to her son, and Arthur could hear the knowing grin before it was even on her face.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Bae said suddenly, leaping from his perch on the chair facing them and rushing up the stairs faster than Arthur would have thought strictly possible.

"He danced with someone," she said smugly, turning back to Arthur with a smile that made him want to avert his eyes.

"Probably Emma," he replied, letting his gaze wander back to the staircase just in case Bae was considering making a reappearance. "Or, I guess, August."

"It could have been Ava," Belle said softly. "But you're right, probably Emma. And August. I'm glad he's having fun, though. I didn't go to any of my school dances."

"No?" he was trying to reconcile this with the image he'd always had of Belle as a social butterfly who probably had more dates than she knew what to do with. "Why not?"

"For the most part I didn't want to," she said with a shrug. "But even if I had wanted to go I was too shy. If someone had asked me, I'd never have been able to say yes."

"You were shy in school?"

"Shy, and not interested," she admitted. "I had friends – and a lot of them were guys – but it just never quite took that next step."

He wanted to push her for more, try to turn the conversation back to where it had almost gone before Bae's interruption. Everything in him was desperate to hear the words she'd almost said, but the moment was gone now and whatever bravery she'd managed to muster had faded. He could try to get the words from her, but he didn't want them like this. He didn't want to make her tell him, he wanted her to say it because she meant it – because she _wanted_ to.


	41. Chapter 41

Endangeredslug said:

Topic: it's time for the sex Ed class in school and Bae brings home the permission slip.

Westcoastmalone said:

Prompt for your adoption verse. Gold feels like he should have the sex talk with Bae, due to a girl, and stumbles his way through it. Bae doesn't have the heart to tell his dad that Belle gave the talk to him years ago, and really "imokaydadpleasestoptalking noplease!"

* * *

It had been a couple of days since Belle's almost-confession, and Arthur frankly had no idea what to do. So far, she hadn't made any further moves to discuss her secret crush with him, and while he was pretty sure he knew what she meant, there was still that little part of him that couldn't believe she'd really been about to say what he thought she was. It had sounded an awful lot like she was in love with _him_ (because really, what other man did she spend any time with?) and that was just absolutely impossible. Women like Belle didn't fall in love with men like him, they just didn't.

Still, though, what else could she possibly have meant? She had no reason to tell him if she'd meant somebody else, and her hand on his knee had been fairly suggestive. And then the dream – at least he assumed it was a dream since she'd been murmuring his name in her sleep. He still couldn't think about that too hard without risking letting his imagination wander, which of course meant he could barely stop thinking about it when she was around.

She was around a lot more lately, too. He'd been going over earlier and staying later, half hoping she'd find another opportunity to finish their conversation and half terrified that he had drastically misread the situation. She was bound to get sick of him eventually at this rate, but oddly she hadn't yet. Belle remained all warm smiles and friendly greetings even as his visits started lasting until Bae's bedtime when he couldn't possibly find any more excuses to stay with her. He was hopeless, and if he were a braver man he'd have said something by now.

So instead, he just quietly arrived at her house about twenty minutes after he knew she usually got home with Bae. Nothing suspicious there! It wasn't like he was waiting around the corner in his car until he was pretty sure she'd have arrived or anything. He'd only done that maybe twice, and then decided that arriving at precisely 4:25 more than two days in a row might arouse some suspicions.

The fact that nobody seemed particularly surprised to see him when he rang the bell every day only drove home how _right_ this all felt. He wanted to be here with them in more than a visiting capacity, and that could perhaps give him bravery.

Bae let him into the house, and Belle was at the counter flipping through mail but her face lit up when she saw him there and for a moment it felt like coming home.

"Hey," she said, grabbing a piece of paper off the counter and holding it out for him. "You need to sign this."

Curious, Arthur walked forward and took the paper from her. Bae seemed to suddenly find something incredibly, intensely interesting about one of the back issues of Reader's Digest that Belle for some reason had on her coffee table.

"What is it?" he asked, not quite able to make the words on the paper quite make sense.

"It's his sex ed permission form," Belle explained. "Both parents have to sign it."

"Why does he need sex ed?" Arthur couldn't help blurting out. "He's only eleven."

He damn well _knew_ why the boy needed it eventually, but still – the thought of his eleven-year-old needing to know the facts of life...he just got his son, it couldn't be time for that already.

"Because," she replied. "He's eleven and hasn't gotten into any trouble yet. They like them to know what's going on before that happens."

Arthur glanced back at Bae, who had pretty effectively burrowed into the chair as far as he could go in his effort to not have to pay attention to his parents' conversation about his potential sex life.

"You still don't think this should wait until he's a _little_ older?"

"He's old enough," Belle replied. "He's known the basics since he was little, and I'd rather he heard it from someone he trusts than the Internet or one of his friends."

"Why would it even come up?" Arthur asked, completely unable to process the idea of Bae ever being exposed to pornography. Belle shot him a withering glare.

"You were a teenage boy, Arthur, use your imagination."

The truth was, he didn't really _have_ to use his imagination. Granted, it had been harder to get a look at a naked woman when he'd been a child, but he definitely remembered doing everything in his power to see one.

"He's just so young," Arthur finally sighed, trying hard not to look back at Bae who really did not seem at all like he wanted them to even be having this conversation.

"He'll be in middle school next year," Belle replied gently, putting a hand on his arm. "And I know you don't want to think about it, but they start doing things by then. The first girl I ever knew who got pregnant was pregnant in ninth grade. Hell, one of his teachers was pregnant when he was in second grade, it's why we had our first talk."

"And they let her teach _seven-year-olds_ like that?"

He could have slapped himself for his outburst, because he knew he sounded ridiculous, but he just hated the idea of his son needing to lose this piece of innocence so young.

"She was pregnant," Belle said icily. "Not a werewolf. Children have siblings at that age, too. They have to know that babies come from _someplace_. And anyway, it was the best opening I ever had to explain that sort of thing."

"I'll do it," Arthur replied, before realizing exactly what it sounded like he just said. "I'm his father, if anyone should talk to him about this it's me."

He was prepared to argue his point, and began mentally rehearsing what he'd say to her. He'd point out that he obviously had at least _some_ experience in what was going on, and that the whole thing would be less impersonal and hopefully make it easier for Bae to ask questions. What he hadn't been prepared for, was what she actually said.

"Okay," she said with a shrug. "If you want to do it, then do it. You're totally right, this is something you should handle."

He did manage to stop himself just short of saying 'really?' because that would have been a touch undignified.

"When should I do it?" he asked, suddenly wondering if this was a level of parenting he was prepared for.

"Now would be fine," she replied with a shrug. "Dinner won't be for awhile and the school wants an answer by tomorrow anyway."

He wasn't really sure how he felt about her leaving the class as a safety net, because he was technically against Bae learning that way, but given his sudden stage fright he was suddenly wondering if maybe having professionals do this wasn't a bad idea after all.

"Hey Bae?" Belle called to the boy who somehow seemed to be growing into the upholstery at this point. "Your dad wants to have a talk with you."

He didn't think she was trying to throw him off to prove her point, but he was pretty sure that she was enjoying his discomfort at least a little bit. She was trying to hide the smirk on her face as she ducked into the kitchen, but it was still there if you knew what you were looking for.

That, at least, triggered a little bit of self-righteous indignation and parental pride. If she thought he was going to need someone else to help with this, she had another thing coming. He'd made a child, he could damn well tell that child how everything was supposed to work. At least, he was pretty sure he could. It had, admittedly, been awhile.

He briefly wondered if he should get 'the talk' himself before this continued.

Arthur came to sit near Bae, who was obviously pretty sure he knew where this was going and just as obviously uncomfortable with everything as his father was. Well, evidently Belle had held some kind of conversation with the boy on the topic before, so perhaps that would be a good enough place to start.

"So, apparently it's time for you to take sex ed," Arthur said to his son, who looked for all the world like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

Bae didn't say anything, just nodded and watched his father not know what to say. Oh good.

"So I know you know the basics from your mom," Arthur continued. "But I thought it'd be a good idea for us to have a talk about what you know and what you don't know and try to answer any questions you have."

"I know where babies come from," Bae blurted out, his face beginning to redden. "Mom already had that talk."

"Well, that's a good start," Arthur was silently cursing because that was the part he was pretty sure he had a good handle on. "But there's a lot more to sex than babies."

Bae looked some combination of horrified and curious, which Arthur was willing to take as a good sign. He was pretty sure Belle was listening, which was not helping either. This was bad enough with the audience of one, but having the woman he loved listening in really just seemed like the wrong way to win her over.

"What do you mean?" Bae said, sounding suspicious.

Arthur was suddenly wishing very hard he'd just listened to Belle and signed the damn form. He was still convinced his way was better, assuming he could actually go through with it, but man it seemed like it would have been a lot easier to just let some random teacher handle this. It was usually the gym teacher, wasn't it? He liked Mr. Knight, and the man seemed on the ball – his wife was pretty enough, anyway. Fred probably knew some tricks...okay this was definitely not where his train of thought needed to be going. Alright, time to focus. What did kids need to know about sex?

Was it too late to back out of this gracefully and sign the permission slip? Probably. Damn.

"Well," he stalled. "As you get older you're probably going to start getting...urges."

Fantastic, this was off to a brilliant start, wasn't it? Bae still looked like he wanted to die a little bit and Arthur wasn't sure if the room had always been this hot or if he was just going crazy.

"Alright," Arthur finally blurted out. "Look, I know this is awkward as hell. Trust me, it's not really fun for me either or how I wanted to spend my afternoon together but well...this is important." What was the thing Belle had said? "Next year, you're going to a new school and you're going to start noticing the girls in your class a lot more and I want to make sure that you know what to do when that happens."

"...are you talking about boners?" Bae finally whispered with a look of sheer terror on his face and Arthur came damn close to laughing except he _knew_ Belle would be able to hear _that_.

"No," he said instantly. "Well, sort of. I mean, that's the kind of thing you have to kind of learn to sort out yourself. I mean…" he had no idea what he even meant. "You're going to be dating soon, son."

If that boy didn't get his first hickey from Emma Nolan in the next three years Arthur would be completely gobsmacked.

"And when you're dating a girl – or a boy, I guess –" this could absolutely not be going worse. "Then sex is a possibility. Now, I'm not going to tell you to never have sex. But I don't want you jumping into it because you think it's something everyone else is doing, either. Sometimes – a lot of times – the right choice is to wait, because there are so many things that can go wrong when you try to do something you're not ready for yet. And when you are ready for that, I want you to know that it's okay to come talk to me about it. I'm not going to judge you or hate you, I just want to make sure you have the best information available to you."

There, that was pretty good. He half felt Belle's eyes on him and glanced over to where she was trying to be very discreet, but also definitely was staring at him.

"What kind of information?" Bae asked suspiciously, and Arthur breathed a little internal sigh of relief because maybe he wasn't screwing this up too badly after all.

"Things like condoms," he replied. "How to use them, where to get them...that sort of thing. How to treat your partner…" oh God, what else would the boy need to know? "What to do if your partner isn't treating you the way they should be."

Bae still looked awkward, but had relaxed at least a little bit. Arthur wasn't really ready to call this a rousing success, however Bae seemed to have heard at least some of it.

"You mean like not hitting girls," Bae said confidently.

"I mean not hitting girls," Arthur replied with a smile. "But I also mean making sure your partner is comfortable and not pressuring them into anything they don't want to do. I mean taking care that they enjoy themselves, and that you're doing what you can to make that happen."

Belle had abandoned all effort at discretion now and was openly watching them both, a strange look on her face. He couldn't help glancing over to her periodically as he continued. These were things he wanted her to hear as well, some sort of evidence that he cared, too.

"Girls you need to be especially careful of," he continued. "Because a lot of them don't really know how to ask for things, because nobody ever told them it was okay and sometimes they'll do things they don't want because they want you to like them."

Bae nodded a little bit, but seemed to have become a little distracted by his knees.

Arthur really wasn't sure where to go from here. Anything beyond what he had just said would be getting into details that his son was _definitely_ too young for (and that Arthur was pretty sure he was too rusty to be giving any pointers on anyway) but he just didn't know what else to do besides escape.

"So what I want you to get out of this," he finally said. "Is that you can come to me with any questions you have after your class at school."

He could have sworn he heard Belle snort but refused to look away from Bae as the boy nodded and gave his father a weak smile.

It was the coward's way out, perhaps, but at least maybe the gym teacher would have a slide show or something. He'd just have to make very sure that Bae had a box of condoms along with his first serious girlfriend so they could revisit this.

Arthur didn't say anything as he walked to the kitchen, grabbed the permission slip from where Belle had left it and signed his name on one of the lines.

"Don't say anything," he warned Belle as Bae (released from his awkward conversation) ran upstairs as fast as his legs could carry him. "I know I messed it up."

"Aww," she said from behind him, quickly wrapping her arms around his torso in a hug that made his knees feel weak. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You tried, and you rallied toward the end there. I thought you did a good job preparing him for the class, and hopefully he'll know he can come to you afterward. That's the important part, right?"

"I guess," he murmured, missing the heat of her body once it was gone and she'd come to stand next to him. "But still, I should have been able to handle this. I _do _know how sex works."

Well, _that_ wasn't a creepy thing to reassure her of at all.

"I'm sure you do," she said with a teasing grin coming over her face. "But knowing how to do something is very different than knowing how to explain it to an eleven-year-old who doesn't want to hear about it. Besides, I'm glad you told him what you did about consent and making sure his partner doesn't feel pressured. I wouldn't have thought to say that, but I love that you did. It's important for him to know that, too. We can cover the condoms later when it's more likely to be put to a practical use."

He couldn't help how much he still loved hearing her use the word _we_. It made him feel like maybe they were getting a little closer to that elusive something that he'd half been hoping for since before they met and that she'd alluded to the other day. Maybe – just maybe – there was still hope. Or maybe he was going crazy and reading too much into all of this.

And maybe he should see if he could sit in on that sex ed class, because honestly the refresher couldn't hurt.


	42. Chapter 42

paradiceseeker said: TAV: Gold admits to David he loves Belle. David pushes Gold to start properly showing her his love. Anonymous said: Ooh Halloween costume prompts yay. Ruby on first meeting Gold- "Belle, he looks like that actor in The Full Monty, he should just wear a speedo." "All he owns are suits. Maybe an FBI agent?" "No. James Bond-and Bond Girl." "Ruby!" "I'll let you borrow an outfit." Belle as Captain Hook, Gold as the crocodile, Bae's friend Emma as Tink, and Bae as Pan for wtf value. Gold doesn't want to wear a mascot costume in front of Belle and shows up in basically Rumple's makeup, crocodile ensemble and coat.

Halloween was upon them. As far as Arthur could determine, it was apparently the high point of Bae's entire year. He was still a little fragile, but you wouldn't have known it from the flurry of excitement that had gone into shopping for an appropriate costume. Halloween had never really been a done thing in Scotland (well, at least not the way that Americans celebrated it) so this would really be Arthur's first proper trick-or-treat. He had no idea what to wear.

They would, apparently, be going out with a handful of other families as part of a larger group. Belle had said that costumes were optional for the adults, but he definitely didn't want to be the only one _not_ in costume. Bae had been back and forth for weeks on precisely which superhero he would be dressed up as, before finally settling on Spiderman. Belle would be wearing _something_ and Arthur had absolutely no idea. So, he did what he always did when he couldn't figure something out: he called Belle.

He always felt a little flutter of happiness when he heard her say hello. She had to know that he was the one who was calling, so maybe it wasn't just his imagination that she sounded happy to hear his voice.

"What's up?" she said at his greeting, and he thought he heard another voice in the background.

"I'm sorry," he couldn't help saying. "Am I interrupting?"

"Oh, no," she replied. "Ruby just came over so we could help each other with hair and makeup. She's going to a party tonight and I just can't curl the back of my head."

"Well, that's sort of why I called," he admitted. "I'm not sure what to wear tonight."

He sounded like a fifteen-year-old girl on her way to a date, and the _it's Arthur and he doesn't know what to wear tonight_ he heard her whispering to her friend on the other end of the line wasn't really helping him feel less ridiculous.

He heard the voice (presumably Ruby's) saying something, before Belle spoke again.

"What do you have to work with?"

"Not much," he admitted. "You've seen most of my wardrobe."

"He has suits and street clothes," he heard Belle say to Ruby.

"He can borrow a Speedo?" he heard Ruby's voice closer to the phone now. "You know, like the movie."

"Ruby!" Belle shrieked and giggled, and Arthur was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to be hearing that part but he had and now he wasn't sure whether he wanted to know the context or not.

"Oh come on, Belle," Ruby muttered, further away now. "You're the one who said it, not me."

Okay, well now he _definitely_ wanted to know the context. he wanted that context more than he wanted anything else in the world. Because somehow, apparently, the subject of him in next to nothing had come up and he would kill to know how and why and what her opinion on the matter had been.

Belle cleared her throat and returned to the conversation.

"Do you have sunglasses?" she asked. "You could be a secret agent."

"I do," he replied. "But sunglasses at night seems a little...bad."

"Yeah, that's true," she said.

He heard Ruby screaming _James Bond_ and Belle was shushing her again.

"If we had more time I could help you make something," Belle said apologetically. "I'm not sure what you can do this late, though."

He was mentally kicking himself for leaving this to the last minute, but he'd been busy and distracted and it had all just gotten lost in the shuffle.

"What are you going as?" he asked her, inspiration striking. Perhaps he could match her.

"I'm going to be a fairy," she said cheerfully. "It's what I do every year."

Well, that wasn't going to help at all.

"You could always be Tony Stark?" Belle suggested.

"I don't think I quite have the personality for that one," he replied.

He heard Ruby start making shrieking noises on the other end, but Belle had apparently moved far enough away from her friend to prevent him understanding anything further.

"Ohhh that's a great idea!" he heard Belle say. "Do you still have that Superman t-shirt Bae made you buy?"

"I do," he replied. "Why?"

"Clark Kent!" she exclaimed. "I've got some fake glasses around here someplace, just put the shirt on under a suit and come over. I'll fix you up."

"Will your friend be there?" he asked nervously. He wasn't quite sure he was up to meeting Ruby just yet, especially if she was going to be in a mood.

"No," Belle said firmly. "We're just finishing her vampire makeup and then she'll be leaving. She'll be gone before you get here. You'll just have to wait until Thanksgiving to meet her."

"I can't wait," he replied dryly. "I'll be by soon."

Arthur was fairly relieved that Ruby truly had left by the time he arrived at Belle's. He knew he was going to have to face the stranger who had created his family eventually, but he just wasn't sure he was ready to do it while wearing a costume. He was, however, very much disappointed that he wasn't going to be able to see if he could determine what the whole 'speedo' conversation had been about.

Turned out he had no need to worry about the context of that statement, because what he _should_ have been worried about was the fact that Belle's costume involved a pink corset and left a lot of cleavage on display. It was taking all his willpower to keep his eyes on her face and not...elsewhere as she fixed his costume.

"So, uh," he said to a spot just above her head. "What are you supposed to be?"

"Oh," she replied as she fiddled with his hair. "I'm a fairy."

That explained the chest coated in glitter, at least.

"That does explain the tutu," he said with a smile. "And the flower crown."

She smiled at him and backed away to give a little spin.

"I'll put the wings on later," she replied. "But it's my go-to costume."

"It suits you," he admitted. "Do you um, wear it often?"

"No," she laughed. "But Halloween does come every year."

She seemed content with her work on his hair after a few minutes, standing back and flashing him a dazzling smile that left him a little breathless and distracted him to the point that he almost missed the moment her hands went to his neck to loosen his tie. By the time she was unbuttoning his shirt, though, his sluggish brain had caught up with her movements.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm making you into Clark Kent," she replied with a teasing lilt to her voice as she unbuttoned him to just below his S insignia and stepped back proudly. "There, you're ready. I just need to get your glasses."

"Right," he said breathlessly. "The glasses."

He needed glasses, and then he would be in costume. Because that's what this had been about, getting him into costume. It certainly hadn't been about the feel of her fingertips undoing his shirt, or the way her chest was heaving just enough to remind him of her aborted confession of the other day. He had to stop himself from following her to the kitchen, from going behind her and sliding his arms around her waist. He didn't think she'd stop him, in fact he thought she might turn and let him kiss her. But Bae was upstairs, and she was expecting people to arrive at any minute, and if he was going to do this he wanted to do it right. Belle deserved him to do this _right_. She deserved him to tell her how he felt properly, and to ask her on an actual date that didn't involve their child being brought along.

So he didn't go stand behind her. Instead, he stood and watched her open the junk drawer, pull out a pair of sunglasses, and pop the lenses out of them. She was a flurry of pink tulle and ribbon and glitter as she practically pranced back to him and slipped the now lenseless glasses onto his face.

"There," she said with a sweet smile. "Perfect."

She was looking up at him and smiling and dammit, he wanted to kiss her. But he had to do this right, he owed it to all three of them. As if on cue, Bae came barreling down the stairs and Belle moved a half-step backwards on an instinct.

"Mom I need help with my zipper," he whined, twisting around in a red and blue Spiderman jumpsuit. "I think it's stuck."

Belle turned her smile from Arthur to his son, and he was sure he must love her a little more every time he saw the two of them together.

"Here," she said to Bae. "Stop squirming and let me see it."

The little boy did as asked, turning his back to his mother who straightened out the fabric and pulled the zipper up with ease.

"There," she said. "Are you almost ready to go? The Nolans should be here in a few minutes."

"Yeah," Bae said. "My mask is upstairs and my bag is in the living room."

"Well, hurry up!" she teased, sending him back to gather his things with a tap on his back.

Trick-or-Treat was a strange experience for a grown man who had never been before. For one thing, he had not really expected the wide variety of suburban mom breast on display. Even the usually straight laced Mary Margaret had donned a very low cut black dress for her Wicked Witch costume, and she and Belle were practically nuns compared to some of the moms they were meeting at the houses. He had begun hanging back with David Nolan (dressed as a Scarecrow, ostensibly to go with his wife the witch and his daughter in her Dorothy costume) simply to avoid the awkwardness of seeing Belle's neighbors in various states of dress (the naughty nurse down the street having finally done him in).

"So," David said almost too casually. "Feel free to tell me that this is none of my business…"

"That's certainly an inauspicious start to a conversation," Arthur replied, unsure if he wanted to know where this was even going.

David chuckled a moment, watching his daughter as she raced Bae to someone's door.

"You have a point," David said. "I was just wondering what was going on with you and Belle."

Arthur's first instinct was to deny that there was anything between them and shut the conversation down completely, but he thought better of it. If he was going to actually make a go of this, it couldn't hurt to have a little bit of help or at least a sounding board. And he was going to go out on a limb and assume David probably had a bit more experience with wooing ladies than Arthur did - at least more recent experience.

"Nothing yet," Arthur replied, not letting his expression change as the kids and their mothers came running back so they could move to the next house.

"Is there a 'but' there?" David asked as soon as the kids had left again and the moms had returned to their own conversation nearby.

"But," Arthur continued. "I think she might be open to something in the near future."

"Well, that's certainly something," David replied. "And why do you think that?"

"She's said some things," Arthur replied with a shrug. "And she's been acting differently now. I have dated women before, you know."

"I'm sure you have," David said with a little half smile. "Just wondering is all, you two seem awfully close."

"We are," Arthur replied. "Very close."

"That's good," David said. "So what about you? Are you open to _something_?"

"Are you asking me on a date?"

David let out a bark of laughter, drawing the looks of the other adults in their group.

"I was just wondering," David said once attention had fallen away from them. "What the hold up is if this is a mutual thing."

Bae and Emma ran back to them, Bae holding Emma's bucket for her.

"Dad, my feet hurt," she huffed. "These ruby slippers are all scratchy."

"Well, are you ready to go home?" David asked her.

"No," she replied, sounding horrified. "We just started!?"

"Well, then what do you want me to do about it?"

Emma growled a little and David just smiled.

"Did your bucket get too heavy?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she replied as they started walking towards the next group of houses.

"So you asked Bae to hold it? Nicely?"

Emma didn't say anything, and David just sighed.

"Bae, do you want me to hold Emma's bucket for her?"

"It's fine, Mr. Nolan," Bae replied. "It's not too much."

"Alright," David said. "Well if it gets too heavy for you just let me know."

Bae nodded as the two ran off to the next house and left their dads behind.

"You've got a good kid there," David said to Arthur. "He's always looking out for all the other kids."

"I do," Arthur replied. "And, since you asked, he's the reason for the holdup."


	43. Chapter 43

accio-firewhiskey said: Adoption prompt: belle gets sick and bae freaks out and calls gold for help tinuviel-undomiel said: Adoption Verse prompt: Belle gets sick so Gold has to take care of Bae, make sure he does his homework, etc, but also take care of poor sick Belle.

It was too early for anyone to be calling, which instantly put Arthur on edge. His heart leapt into his throat at the sight of Belle's name on the call ID. _Nobody_ called him this early in the morning – Bae wouldn't even be at school yet. Had something happened to his son?

He grabbed for the phone, pushing the talk button and answering as fast as possible.

"Dad?" Bae said on the other end, and Arthur breathed a quick sigh of relief. Bae was okay, at least.

"What's up, son?" Arthur asked. Something was still strange if Bae was calling before eight on a Tuesday morning.

"Something's wrong with Mom," Bae said quietly and Arthur felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up straight. "I think she's really sick."

"What's wrong with her?"

"She's breathing funny," Bae replied. "And she keeps coughing."

"Oh," Arthur said. "Is that all?"

"No," Bae continued. "She can't walk very far. She told me to get ready for school but she's still upstairs because she can't stand up long enough to walk down here to drive me to school. I think something is really wrong."

"Did you call anyone else?"

"She told me she didn't need help," Bae said, and Arthur could hear tears beginning to overwhelm the boy. "She never thinks she needs help when she's sick but this time I don't know — I'm really scared can you please come over?"

"I'll be there in a minute," Arthur promised. "Just keep the phone with you and stay nearby and I'll be right there."

"Okay," Bae replied. "Please hurry."

He didn't need much more incentive than that. He'd just seen Belle yesterday evening and she had seemed alright (although perhaps a little sniffly), but that didn't mean anything if Bae was so scared. She'd mentioned a cold, he remembered. She said she had a bad cold. That was all it was, she just had a worse cold than she'd thought. That's all – that had to be all, because she couldn't really be that sick.

Arthur arrived at Belle's house in record time and saw with some trepidation her car was still outside. She should have left to take Bae to school already and then headed to work. She never didn't do those two things on time.

He let himself into the house, calling out for Bae who ran down the stairs and flung his arms around his father in relief.

"Where's your mother?" Arthur asked as calmly as he could manage.

"She's still in her room," Bae said. "She says she'll be ready in a minute but she's mostly just coughing."

"Alright," Arthur said with a grimace. "Get your stuff ready for school. I'm going to go check on her and let her know I'm taking you, okay?"

Bae nodded and Arthur began the climb up the stairs. He was terrified of what he would see when he arrived. He only rarely came to the second floor of Belle's house. There was nothing there except for bedrooms, so aside from the time Bae had fallen asleep in his car he'd only maybe been up there once. There had simply never been a need for him to go up, and he realized he didn't even know for sure which room was Belle's. Luckily, the sound of coughing coming from the second door to the right narrowed his choices down quite a bit.

He knocked, waiting for her to mumble something that he took as an invitation before opening the door gently (and making sure to keep his eyes averted until she realized who it was).

"Belle?" he called into the room.

"Arthur?" he heard her say, followed by a gasping cough. "What are you doing here?"

"Bae called me," he explained. "Can I come in?"

"I'm fine," she said before another coughing fit claimed her.

"Alright, now I'm definitely coming in."

He paused for a moment anyway, waiting to see if she would protest before he walked into the room. She had turned on a lamp and seemed to have made an effort to get up, but she was curled up in a ball at the foot of the bed still in her nightgown. Her skin was paler than usual, and had a thin sheen of sweat on it. Her eyes were glassy as well, but it was her breathing that was worrying him. She seemed unable to catch her breath, and he could hear a wheezing with each shallow inhale. She was definitely _not_ fine and he could not leave her like this.

He stepped back into the hallway and called for Bae, who ran upstairs with his backpack on.

"Go down the street and see if Mr. Jefferson can drive you to school with Grace," Arthur said, silently thanking the heavens that they had bought Bae a cellphone during the situation with Milah. "Call me as soon as you know the answer. I'm going to take your mom to the doctor."

Bae nodded and Arthur swore he could see the boy relax a little in relief that someone else was in charge now. He didn't wait to watch his son leave, instead he went back into Belle's room.

"I don't need to go to the doctor," she said grumpily, somehow looking angry even while she looked so delicate he wasn't sure he should touch her. "I just need some cough syrup and I'll be fine."

"You most certainly _do_ need to go to the doctor," he replied as calmly as he could. "You can't breathe and I think you might have pneumonia."

"I don't have pneumonia," she growled a little bit. "It's just a cold."

The coughing fit that left her winded and panting did absolutely nothing to ease his mind. Who would have thought that Belle was so cranky when she was sick?

Arthur's phone beeped with a message from Bae saying that he had gotten a ride to school, and Arthur tucked the phone back into his pocket turning his full attention to Belle.

"Bae is on his way to school," he told her. "And you are going to the doctor if I have to carry you there."

"You wouldn't," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I most certainly would," he replied. "And I'd like to see you try to stop me in your state. Now, would you like to change clothes first or should I just carry you as you are?"

"Your leg…" she began, pausing midsentence to catch her breath.

"My leg would definitely appreciate your cooperation," he continued for her. "But you don't weigh that much to begin with and considering you're too weak to brush your hair right now I don't foresee much of a problem hauling you downstairs if I need to."

She was still angry at him, he could see, but she didn't argue when he moved to her closet and pulled out a simple cotton dress he thought shouldn't be too hard for her to put on.

"Do you want me to help you change or do you think you can handle it by yourself?"

He really, really hoped she could handle this by herself. They were definitely not at a point in their relationship where he thought he should be seeing her naked, and if her nightgown had sleeves on it (or if it were warmer outside) he probably would have just taken her in that.

"I'll change," she grumbled angrily. "I'm not an invalid."

"I'm sure," he said wryly. "I'll be just outside if you need me."

She continued glaring at him, and even though he was extremely worried about her it took all his willpower not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. He waited by her door until she called out to him. He wasn't entirely sure whether he expected her to have succeeded in changing all by herself or not, but when he entered she was sitting on the edge of her bed with and angry look on her face and the dress on.

"I'm really fine," she whined. "I don't need to go to the doctor. I need to go to work."

He almost felt guilty for forcing her to seek medical attention, but she took another deep breath and he actually heard her lungs crackling.

"Belle," he replied as patiently as he could possibly manage. "Your lungs are filled with fluid. Listen to yourself. You can barely get through a sentence without gasping for air. You absolutely need to go to the doctor."

She whimpered and curled up into herself.

"I can't leave the shop closed," she explained. "And I can't afford the doctor right now."

"Is that it?" he replied, coming to sit next to her and wrapping arms around her before he could stop himself. "I'll call and get someone to open for you, and I'll pay for the doctor if that's what this is all about."

"No," she whined again, but she didn't make any effort to pull away from him. "I can't let you do that."

"Well, one of us is paying for the doctor," he replied. "Because you are definitely not okay."

She didn't say anything for a minute, her breathing still ragged, and it took him a little while to realize she was crying.

"Hey," he said as soothingly as he could manage, petting her hair a little. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sick," she sobbed.

"I know you are, sweetheart," he replied. "But it's going to be okay."

"But you have to give up your whole day to take care of me," she continued. "And everything has been going so well lately."

He was trying really hard not to laugh, but her moods were shifting so wildly between angry and clingy it was taking all his self-control. He honestly didn't mind taking care of her even if she were angry with him, but given the choice clingy was much better on his ego and easier to deal with.

"I don't mind taking care of you," he replied. "But we need to get you downstairs and to the doctor, okay?"

She nodded and let him help her up and guide her down the stairs. He had been right in that he could probably have carried her if he needed to, which was good because she was leaning against him heavily and swooned a couple times on her way down. He should seriously look into a knee surgery after the holidays, because this was just the last straw for him on that score. He needed to know he could be there when his family needed him. It had been years since the last time he'd tried to have it taken care of, surely some new technology must be available now.

Once they were in the car, Belle dialed Anton on her phone and let Arthur speak to him. It only took a minute to let the other man know his overtime would be covered and to please call the store's one part time employee to see if she could handle a few extra shifts before the holidays. He'd known about Belle's 'cold' as well, and didn't seem surprised at all that she had actually been nursing a pretty good case of pneumonia instead. She, meanwhile, was leaning her head against the window of the car and staring out at the horizon forlornly.

"Belle?" Arthur said, getting her attention onto him. "When was the last time someone took care of you when you were sick?"

She seemed confused by the question.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" what _did _he mean? "Do you always just keep going like that when you're sick?"

"I have Bae," she replied as though that solved everything. "And a business to run. What else would I do?"

"Rest?"

He thought she was going to laugh at him, but instead she just started coughing again.

"He's eleven," she replied. "Anyway, I made my choice after my dad died."

"So nobody has taken care of you since you lost your father?"

"Nobody has taken care of me since I lost my mother," she corrected. "Dad had a business to run, too."

Something in her tone made him unbearably sad. Belle never spoke of her mother, and he only knew the vaguest things about her. She had died when Belle was around Bae's age, and he got the feeling it had been sudden, but he didn't know much beyond that. Whatever had happened, it had left a wound in Belle that didn't seem to have fully healed in the intervening two decades.

They were silent the rest of the way to the urgent care, where he parked and helped her out of the car again. With her breathing the way it was and his leg, it took far longer than it should have to walk the parking lot to the office. The nurses, at least, recognized that she was in an awful state, hurrying her into an exam room and away from prying eyes. Arthur took the paperwork for her, dutifully filling out her personal information and medical history. She was forced to let him help her change into the little paper gown, which was an event consisting of him unzipping her dress, realizing he hadn't given her a bra and she hadn't been able to get one, and then raising his eyes to the ceiling while trying not to realize how little she was wearing. Once that was completed, he helped her onto the table and they waited for the doctor.

"Thank you for coming with me," she said after a few minutes. "I don't think I could have done this without you."

"It's no matter," he replied. "You'd have done the same for me."

"Still," she said with a little shrug. "Thank you. I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with."

He was struggling to come up with a reply to that – some way to insist he didn't mind and that he liked dealing with her no matter what – when the knock on the door signaled the doctor's arrival.

They both snapped to attention, watching as an older man with glasses entered. He was perhaps Arthur's height, maybe a little smaller, and had a pleasant smile.

"Good morning, Ms. French," he said. "What brings us in today?"

"I'm sick," she said. "I keep coughing and I'm having trouble breathing."

As if on cue, her body spasmed with another coughing fit that left her struggling for air.

"I don't like the sound of that at all," the doctor said nervously, grabbing his stethoscope and placing it against her bare back. "I don't like the sound of your breathing, either."

After that, it was a flurry of movement as the doctor summoned a nurse and they both began hooking Belle up to a monitor. Her blood oxygen level was in the seventies, which Arthur understood was about thirty points less than what they would have liked, and her blood pressure was very low. He had been right in his suspicion of pneumonia, which didn't really make him feel any better about any of it as the doctor insisted on giving her some medicine to breathe in until her vital signs looked better.

Belle looked so small as she was being poked and prodded, and he wasn't really surprised at all when her hand ended up in his. She needed comfort, and that was why he had come along – to comfort her. By the time the monitors finally said something the doctor liked the look of, Belle was holding a prescription for antibiotics and one for an inhaler and written orders for lots of bed rest.

"You're lucky to have such a patient husband," the nurse said as she unhooked Belle from the monitors and prepared the paperwork that would let her go home. "Mine would have been climbing the walls by now. Is he going to take care of you at home?"

It was on the tip of Arthur's tongue to tell the woman he wasn't her husband, but that of course Belle would be taken care of as soon as he could figure out a way to say that which didn't seem incredibly awkward.

"I am lucky," Belle agreed with a smile and a little cough (which sounded a lot better now that her O2 levels were normal and the color had returned to her cheeks). "Very, very lucky. I don't think he's going anywhere."


	44. Chapter 44

Anonymous said: Adoption!Prompt: Arthur decides to try to "subtly" flirt with Belle to see how she will react. Of course hes an adorable awkward person. willowlovesrumbelle said: I discovered your Adoption! verse a few days ago and I love it so much What do you thing about something like this... what if Belle had an accident, nothing serious, just something like falling down the stairs or a knife cut, Bae gets scared and calles Arthur and he cares for Belle… willowlovesrumbelle said: I discovered your Adoption! verse a few days ago and I love it so much What do you thing about something like this... what if Belle had an accident, nothing serious, just something like falling down the stairs or a knife cut, Bae gets scared and calles Arthur and he cares for Belle... crimson-11-delight-dustafterrain said: Are you still accepting Adopted!Verse prompts? Because if you are, and I'm sure you've gotten something similar already, but at some point, Bae has to realize his parents are perfect for each other and try a Parent Trap on them. Maybe he conspires with Ruby...? theladyofthedarkcastle said: Okay. I know I just prompted, but I feel bad neglecting Halloween and Thanksgiving. So here are my two cents (for whatever they're worth) for the aforementioned. Adoption!Verse: (Halloween) Bae wants Arthur to help him find/make a costume and surprise Belle. Hmm or maybe they make like matching scary costumes and scare Belle! (Thanksgiving) Kinda same as Christmas as far as inviting Gold to dinner, but I think it'd be precious if Bae makes a point to tell his dad he's thankful for him this year

Belle was honestly feeling much better by Thanksgiving, but nobody really believed her. She was no longer unable to walk across the room without sitting down, and she didn't have to hit the inhaler mid-sentence anymore. She was a little weak still, but she'd been able to go into the shop a few times this last week and had gotten Bae off to school all by herself almost every day. Arthur had been invaluable, though. He had basically moved in without a word after her trip to the doctor. She had simply taken a nap and when she woke up he'd gotten a suitcase and moved into the guest room. She didn't know how long he planned to stay, and it was surprising that she didn't mind. She was so happy and relieved, and it had been so nice to have him around and helping out. He'd cooked dinners, he'd helped with Bae's homework, he'd helped her take the stairs when she had trouble.

It had been so nice having someone around to help out, even though it had been frustrating at times, too. It had taken several days to get past a point where he didn't instantly get up the second she got up in order to try to get her the drink she'd been wanting, and the awkwardness of needing to explain if she was going to the bathroom for any reason at all hadn't really worn off. Even now, he was standing at her elbow while she prepared the stuffing. Ruby and her grandmother had come for the holiday, so Mrs. Lucas was doing most of the cooking. Belle had insisted on making at least a few of the side dishes though. It was her house, her Thanksgiving, and she was going to contribute at least _something_ to it, even if that something was chopping celery and onions, mixing them with bread crumbs and stock, and putting the whole thing in the oven.

"Do you need any help?" he asked, still hovering nearby. "With the...chopping."

"I'm fine," she replied. "It's just stuffing. I usually handle most of the meal by myself."

"You're still not well," Arthur said. "You should be resting."

"I'm completely fine," she huffed. "I'm not even on antibiotics anymore. I've never been healthier."

"I'm sure you've been much healthier," he said. "Though not much lovelier."

Belle just about dropped the knife in her shock at his statement. He didn't seem to be flirting, because he wasn't actually looking at her anymore. He seemed to have said it to the refrigerator, actually. She wasn't really sure what he'd meant by saying it, but she felt herself start to blush just a little and averted her eyes back down to the cutting board.

"So, um," she tried to focus on the conversation. "What would you usually be doing for Thanksgiving? If you weren't here, I mean?"

"I'd be home alone," he admitted. "Even when I was married we didn't do much for Thanksgiving."

"No?"

"It wasn't important to either of us," he said with a shrug. "This will be my first family Thanksgiving."

"Well I'm glad I could be here for your first," she said. "We'll be gentle."

She glanced up to see his reaction to her joke, feeling slightly satisfied at the stunned look on his face. Their banter had been getting progressively more flirtatious the last few weeks, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. On the one hand, it was so much fun to tease and be tease but on the other...everything had been put on hold while she'd been sick and now it was almost like they were running to catch up.

He'd stopped staring at the refrigerator and now his eyes were firmly fixed on her, so that was progress. She bit her lip and made a show of scraping her chopped celery into a bowl before taking up the onions.

"Well," he said with a teasing voice. "There's always next year."

"There is," she said sweetly, turning the onion on its side and continuing her chopping. "And Christmas, too. I'll have to get you something nice."

They were definitely going to have to revisit their prior present arrangement, which hadn't really included any consideration that the two of them might ever exchange gifts. Belle was fairly sure they had gone beyond that, though. Far, far beyond that.

"Oh really?" he said with a grin. "And what would that be? If we were going to exchange gifts, I mean."

"What would you like?"

He didn't say anything in response, and she looked back up from her work to see him looking at her intensely. His eyes were darker than usual and there was a rawness there she hadn't expected. She was taken aback by the intensity of his stare, and her own reaction to it. She felt a flutter in her belly and the attraction she tried so hard to pretend wasn't there roared wildly to life. Their eyes met for a split second and she felt her breath leave her. The knife slipped in her grasp, and she felt the blade slide into her palm.

Belle gasped, clenching her hand shut and rushing to the sink. Arthur was at her side in a second, turning on the tap with one hand while his other rested on the small of her back.

"Are you alright?" he said in a low voice that had her shivering.

"I'm fine," she finally got out, letting him guide her hand under the stream of cool water. She whimpered at the contact, and he winced sympathetically.

"Does it hurt badly?"

"No," she breathed. "It doesn't hurt, it just startled me is all."

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I was distracting you, I shouldn't have."

"It's not your fault," she said. "You were a nice distraction. I was just careless."

He released her for a minute, grabbing a handful of paper towels before coming back. Arthur turned off the water and cradled her injured hand in his, pressing the paper towels over the cut in her palm for a few minutes.

"I hope I haven't ruined your Thanksgiving," she said as he stared at her hand.

"I've come to understand holidays are supposed to have these little emergencies," he replied. "And besides, I already told you I wouldn't have been doing anything else anyway."

He lifted the paper towel and peeked underneath, checking to see if her bleeding had stopped.

She couldn't help smiling at him. He was so intent on her hand, and on her comfort. Her skin was prickling, and she couldn't help but think of the time he put the bracelet on her and how she hadn't known at the time if she wanted him to kiss her or not. She knew now, though. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted this - wanted a man to be in her home and in her life, someone to help her with her son and take care of her when she needed it. She'd never had that before, and never even known she was missing it before now.

Bae was watching his parents in the kitchen from his seat on the sofa. They were so weird - didn't they know that Granny was actually in the kitchen with them?

"How long have they been looking at each other like that?" Aunt Ruby said in a whisper from her seat nearby.

"I dunno," Bae said. "A pretty long time. Before she cut herself."

"Do they do that a lot?"

Bae shrugged.

"They've been doing it recently, I guess."

"I'm so good at my job," Aunt Ruby said, winking at Bae. "Just amazing at it."

Aunt Ruby was kind of weird, but Bae liked her. She'd known him since he was a baby, after all. In a lot of ways, she was kind of like a second mom. She was always there to talk if he had a problem, and she'd been the one who he was supposed to talk to when he was visiting with his birth mom. She had been the one who picked him up and dropped him off, and for awhile he hadn't liked her because of that. She was always really patient, though, and fun. Aunt Ruby was the one who always brought him presents for every holiday and her grandma watched him in the summers most days. They were basically family now.

"Hey," she tossed a throw pillow at him snapping his attention back to her. "How are you holding up, Kiddo?"

Aunt Ruby always called him that, and it always made him feel a little bit more at home no matter what. He knew what she was asking about. His birth mom was dead and his dad was new and Bae's entire world had been shaken up.

"I'm good," he said after a few minutes.

"Yeah?" she replied, looking at him for a long time. "It's been a pretty big year."

Bae shrugged.

"It's not a big deal though," he said. "It's been really nice having dad around. And we got to go on a big vacation."

"You did," she agreed. "How much fun was that, anyway? You guys went to the beach?"

He nodded.

"I think dad wants to go back next year," he confided. "I really hope mom agrees because I had so much fun."

"You excited about Christmas?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "It'll be our first one all together, and I'll get double presents."

Aunt Ruby giggled and glanced back at his parents in the kitchen. Mom had a bandage on her hand now but Dad was the one chopping onions.

"Enjoy that while it lasts," she whispered at him. "I wouldn't count on it by next year."

He was pretty sure he knew what Aunt Ruby meant, but he wasn't sure if she was right or not. He knew his parents had been acting weird lately, but he wasn't sure if he'd really thought much about them getting married or anything. Mostly he'd thought about them dating forever and things going on like they had been. It hadn't really ever occurred to him that they might actually become a couple or get married or anything.

"So what do you think about that?" Aunt Ruby said, nudging him a little. "Are you excited?"

"I never really thought about it."

"Well," she said softly. "Do you think you'd be happy if you were all together?"

"I guess so," he admitted, looking back to where his parents were still talking in the kitchen. "It's always been nice whenever we were all in the same house, anyway. It'd just be weird having to pick one of them that I wanted to live at all the time."

"Oh yeah," Aunt Ruby agreed. "That would be weird. I mean, you grew up here but your dad's house is a lot bigger, right?"

"It is," he said. "My room is nicer there and there's a bigger yard and more bedrooms, but I don't know if I'd want to not be here anymore, either. Mom grew up here."

"That's a tough choice," Aunt Ruby replied. "I don't know what I'd want, either."

Aunt Ruby always seemed to understand, or at least she always said she did, and that was why Bae liked her. She always felt like she was on his side. Maybe someday he'd talk to her about his birth mom dying, and how it felt like having something stolen from him and how much it had hurt because she wasn't his _real_ mom, but he had still wanted her to want him. He felt guilty, too, though. If anyone could understand that it'd be Aunt Ruby, who had been with him all along. He couldn't quite admit how much it hurt that he was betraying his mom, though. She had raised him and loved him and tried to protect him and he was so sad he'd never really know someone who had tried to steal him from her.

He wasn't a good person, because good people didn't do that kind of thing to their moms, but whatever. He'd keep his secret as long as he needed to.

Dinner wasn't weird. He'd half expected it to be weird since his parents kept looking at each other when they didn't think he was looking, and Aunt Ruby kept shooting him looks that meant she suspected they liked each other. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of them together, he just couldn't decide about the houses. If there was a way to have a set of parents but both houses he'd be happy with that.

"I think it's time for everyone to say why they're thankful," Aunt Ruby said as soon as dinner was on the table. "I'll go first! I'm thankful that we're all here this year. Together."

She had a look in her eye that Bae thought was funny, because it made his mom squirm in her seat and try not to look at anyone.

"Belle, why don't you go next?" Aunt Ruby said pointedly.

"Alright," Mom said, smoothing her napkin across her lap. "I'm thankful for all the people that I love."

"I'm thankful that I got the chance to be here," Dad said.

"I'm thankful that I'm retired," Granny teased. "And for Ruby, who is the best granddaughter I could have asked for."

Ruby squeezed her grandma's hand and then everyone was looking at Bae, and he knew what the answer was.

"I'm thankful I get to know my dad."


	45. Chapter 45

musingofmychoosing said: Prompt for Adoption!Verse, (maybe a few chapters into the future). Zelena is a teacher in charge of a "Wizard of Oz" play. She flirts with Gold when he comes to pick up Bae from school recitals. Maybe Belle gets a little jealous? Anonymous said: I have a prompt for adoption verse if it's allowed. Belle find what she thinks is the perfect time to tell Arthur that she returns his feelings when someone else (A single mother from the school? Someone) Asks him out in front of her.

Belle was thankful that her son wasn't into drama, as it would have been one too many extra curricular activities. It didn't mean she was excused from attending the winter production, since each class had to put on a program of some sort and the fifth grade kids were doing the Wizard of Oz. Bae was a tree, and if she was being completely honest he wasn't a particularly good one. The only part of the production he'd seemed even remotely interested in was the part where he got to throw fake apples at Emma (who had landed the role of Dorothy) and Belle grimaced a little when she saw just how hard he'd been throwing them at her. They were going to have to have a talk about that later. A very, very long one.

The winter production was also a mixer for the parents, and served as an end of year party for the kids before they took their tests. It was also six days before Arthur's birthday, and Belle still had to plan for that. But for right now, at least, all she had to do was sit in the dark next to her son's father and be grateful Bae didn't have anymore opportunities to lob things at his friend on stage. Their hands were so close that Belle could feel the heat coming off of him and she spent the entire second half of the play debating whether or not to reach out and grab his hand.

All too soon, though, the play was over and Dorothy was victorious and it was time for the kids to take their bows. Bae and his fellow trees had taken their trunks off, but were still fairly leafy (and a little glittery). The drama teacher then came up and gave her own bows. She was a tallish woman with red hair and a rather toothy smile. Belle hadn't met her before because she was new this year, but Bae hadn't seemed particularly fond of her. Belle was thankful that the semester was over and he would be doing art in the spring and she wouldn't have to worry about his drama grade anymore.

After the lights went up and all the parents began to rise and file out of the auditorium, Belle slid her arm through Arthur's to keep from getting separated in the crush.

"Are you ready to say that was the absolute best production of 'The Wizard of Oz' you've ever seen?" she asked him. "And that your son was the best tree?"

"He was a spectacular tree," he replied with a wry smile. "Never seen one more committed to driving out Dorothy."

"Yeah," she said. "We're definitely going to have to discuss that. At least now I can guess why he hasn't been getting along well with his teacher."

He chuckled a little as they reached the cafeteria where the reception would be held.

Bae dashed over, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Did you like it?" he asked. "Miss Greene said I did a good job."

"I did like it," Belle exclaimed happily. "You were a fantastic tree."

"With a great arm," Arthur added and Belle shot him a quelling look.

"Did you have fun?" Belle asked Bae. "You looked like you were having a great time."

"I did," he admitted. "But I'm glad it's over."

It didn't take long for Bae to run off with a few of his friends to discuss something that was incredibly important to eleven-year-old boys, which from what Belle could guess from the hand motions largely revolved around explosions and getting hit in the face. She had long ago given up on trying to figure out little boys and their interests.

Usually she'd spend these things circulating with the other moms and teachers, but this year she found herself not wanting to leave Arthur's side. Not that they were talking or anything, but the silence was itself was thick with potential. They were on the cusp of something and she didn't want to waste a perfect second.

"Belle, Arthur!" Mary Margaret said with a cheerful smile as she came up behind them. "I haven't seen you since Halloween!"

Her friend was beaming at both Belle and Arthur, and Belle knew right then that Mary Margaret knew something she wasn't telling.

"I know," Belle agreed. "I got pneumonia right after and then with the holiday it's just been insane."

"Bae had told me," Mary Margaret replied. "He said his dad moved in to help out. That's just wonderful!"

"I've gone back to my house," Arthur said with a quirk of his mouth. "It was just a temporary thing."

"It was still a big help," Belle replied, rubbing his arm fondly. "I don't know what I'd have done without him."

Mary Margaret was making a strange face now and Belle wasn't sure at all what was going on.

"Before I forget," Mary Margaret said finally. "I need to talk to you about something for school. You don't mind if I borrow her, do you?"

The last part was directed towards Arthur who shook his head. Belle barely had time to register what was going on before her friend was pulling her bodily across the room.

"What's going on?" Belle asked. "Is it something with the kids?"

"Did Arthur talk to you yet?" Mary Margaret asked excitedly, practically vibrating with her excitement.

"About what?"

"On Halloween he told David that he has a thing for you!"

Belle felt her jaw drop as she looked back over to where Arthur was now chatting with the drama teacher. She'd known about this (insomuch as one could know another person's feelings, anyway) but having confirmation that he'd actually discussed it with someone else...it was time to tell him.

"Belle?" Mary Margaret seemed almost concerned now. "Is...do you not feel the same?"

"No, that's not it," Belle hurried to reassure her friend. "I do, I just hadn't quite realized how serious he was about it."

"Well, if you like him and you know he likes you, are you going to tell him?"

That was the question, wasn't it? It was time to act - it was past time to act, actually.

"I am," Belle said finally. "I'll tell him tonight."

"That's so great!" Mary Margaret was gushing. "I'm so happy for you guys, and for Bae."

"Well, it's not set in stone yet," Belle reminded her. "It could all go very wrong."

"Well, you have to have faith," Mary Maret replied. "And I'll hope for the very best."

Hope. Hope sounded good. What was love, after all, besides hope?

Something was strange when Belle returned to Arthur. She'd been floating before, buoyed by newfound faith that he loved her, but her mood was soured when she was Miss Green had her hand on Arthur's forearm now and was laughing uproariously at something he'd said. Belle felt a cold stab of jealousy shoot through her on her approach. She tried to plaster a smile onto her face, but was afraid it wouldn't stick.

"You're so clever," Miss Green said coyly. "How are you still single?"

Belle couldn't tell if he was flattered or being polite, but either was a possibility.

"Well," he replied humbly. "Not everyone shares your high opinion of my sense of humor."

The redhead was touching his arm again, and it took Arthur longer than usual to realize that Belle had come back. She stood off to the side for awhile and watched as they continued talking.

"Belle," Arthur said with a little smile as soon as he noticed her. "How was Mary Margaret?"

"She's fine," Belle replied, trying to be as normal as possible. "Just needed to ask me about a fundraiser."

"Is it something I could help with?" he asked her earnestly, and she almost wished she wasn't fibbing.

"A bake sale," she said. "She's thinking of doing a bake sale for Valentine's day, so she's asking some of the moms for help."

Miss Green was looking between them as they spoke with the smile on her face rapidly fading.

"Oh I'm sorry," Arthur said finally. "Belle, this is Zelena Green, the drama teacher. And this is Bae's mother Belle French."

"It's a pleasure," Zelena said dully as they shook hands and Belle knew right then that neither woman liked the other.

She had never been in a feud over a man before, and she had no idea how to handle it. Thank God that Bae would be done in her class in a couple of weeks.

"So what were you two talking about?" Belle asked, keeping her smile plastered on her face.

"Arthur was just telling me about his shop," Zelena cooed, touching his arm again. "It just sounds delightful."

"Yes, it's very nice," Belle agreed. "Like Aladdin's cave, nothing but treasures."

Zelena shot her a look, and Belle was feeling a little smug at having scored this point.

"Well, I'll just have to make sure to visit it," Zelena said, turning to Arthur with a flirtatious smile that made Belle realize just exactly how manic her eyes could look. "Maybe we can get lunch sometime and you can show me?"

Arthur didn't seem to have been prepared for this at all, and he was now looking back and forth between the two women as though they'd caught him in a trap.

"I'll have to check my schedule," he finally said. "I'm very busy with Bae. And Belle."

Zelena narrowed her eyes at Belle as though it was her intervention that had caused her overtures to fail. The truth was, Arthur was free to go out with the teacher if that's what he'd wanted. Belle could hardly object. He wasn't hers to lose, really.

"Well, some other time then," Zelena said after awhile. "I have to go meet some of the other parents, though, if you'll excuse me."

Zelena made her way through the room, and did engage a few people in conversation, but she eventually settled across the room glaring at Belle.

"What a strange woman," Arthur said at last. "She came over almost as soon as you left."

"She thinks I'm competition," Belle replied. "She had her eye set on hot single dad."

His eyes shot to her before she realized she'd just called him hot. Well, that was certainly one way to go about this.

"Look, Arthur," Belle said finally. "I know this isn't good timing, necessarily, but…"

"Can we go home?" Bae said from so close behind Belle that she just about jumped out of her skin. "I'm bored and all my friends are leaving."

"Yeah," Belle said quickly. "We can go."

Arthur was looking at her strangely, but he nodded in agreement, ushering them out of the room and to his car.

The trip home did nothing at all for Belle's bravery. It could wait, couldn't it? There had to be a better time to tell him what was going on than at a winter mixer at their son's elementary school immediately after he got hit on by the drama teacher.

Arthur followed them into the house where Bae flung himself onto the sofa and flipped on the television.

"Anything special to want for your birthday?" Belle asked Arthur as she hung her coat on the rack. "I still have to take Bae to get you a present."

"Nothing in particular," he replied, and Belle could hear a little bit of sadness in his voice. "I'll just be happy to spend it with him."

"Well he's getting you something anyway," she said. "And Christmas, too. So let me know if you can think of anything."

"Your company will be enough," he said with a smile. "But I'll let you know if I see anything."

It was enough, wasn't it? Because it had to be, for both of them. They had to make this work for Bae.

"Are you staying for dinner?" she asked, hoping the answer was yes and that she could have some time to figure out what to tell him and reclaim some of her lost bravery, but she would be disappointed.

"Not tonight," he replied. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow sounds good.

"Goodnight, Bae!" Arthur called into the living room.

"Goodnight," Bae called back, distractedly.

He didn't say goodbye to Belle, but he didn't have to. The smile on his face told her that he'd miss her, and she would miss him more than she liked admitting.

Suddenly, Belle realized, this wasn't enough anymore.

"I forgot to tell your dad something," she blurted out, rushing out the door before Arthur could leave without hearing what she had to say.

Bae made some noncommittal noise from his seat on the couch. He had no reason to care about his parents' little drama, or even a reason to suspect that there was one going on as far as she knew.

"Arthur," she called out as she shut the door. "Wait."

He turned around in surprise from the bottom of the porch stairs and she suddenly realized she had absolutely no idea what to say next. She'd never gotten this far in her plans, and somehow even when she'd thought about telling him her entire focus was on what would happen afterward, not in the lead up to the words _I love you_ escaping her lips. She was entirely lost here, and the only things keeping her grounded were the doorknob that was still in her hand and his eyes focused on her face.

"Is everything okay?" he said after she didn't speak. "Something with Bae?"

"No," she said simply. "I forgot to tell you something."

"Oh," he replied, and her eyes traced the motion of his Adam's apple as he swallowed before continuing. "What was it?"

That she loved him, that she didn't want him to go, that she couldn't stand the thought of going to bed one more night without having told him how she felt and what she wanted. That she hadn't wanted anyone like that in a decade at least, and maybe even longer. But she couldn't say any of that, because he was still looking at her so delicately and she wasn't sure if he was afraid he'd break or if she would, but she needed him to keep looking at her because it was all that held her here.

It was his gaze that finally spurred her into movement, the way he was looking at her as though she were something beautiful and rare and valuable, something he was afraid of losing as much as she was afraid of losing him. She could be brave, she would be brave – he deserved her bravery.

He had half-turned, one foot on the first step as though considering returning to her, when she felt her legs begin to carry her towards him. Her hand slipped off the doorknob, but she didn't need it to anchor her to the earth anymore because she was being drawn into him by something more powerful than gravity. Arthur seemed almost startled, by her proximity or her determination she'd never know, but he didn't pull away when she stopped one step above him and reached her hand out to rest on his cheek.

"Belle…" he began, but never had a chance to finish the sentence. The sound of her name on his lips was all she'd needed, the only confirmation required that he wanted her, too.

She brushed a strand of hair back behind his ear, and then craned her neck upwards and pressed her lips against his. It was a chaste kiss, just the brush of their lips, but she felt all the tension of the last few weeks ebb out of her. She had done it. For better or for worse, she had kissed him and now all her cards were finally on the table. The ball was entirely in his court.

She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, and apparently that was all the encouragement he'd needed because suddenly his arms were around her waist and he was pulling her flush to him with a feral growl that had her toes curling in her shoes. His lips were back on hers, but his tongue was tracing the outline of her mouth and she willingly parted her lips and let him in.

He tasted like nothing else, and she was drunk on him, which was the only explanation she could think of for why her ability to think was so cloudy all of a sudden. All she knew was how badly she'd wanted this, and how relieved she was that it had finally happened. Belle had never been kissed like that in her entire life, and she never wanted to be kissed any other way ever again. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and holding him closer even though he didn't seem inclined to go anywhere that she wasn't.

It hadn't been nearly long enough when he finally pulled away from her with a dumbstruck look on his face that made her feel sexy and powerful in a way she didn't remember ever feeling in her life.

"I forgot to tell you goodnight," she whispered, surprised at the huskiness of her own voice. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Arthur nodded, still looking at her like he wasn't sure if she was actually there or not, and she was struck with the urge to kiss him again. This time was a little less desperate, but still beautiful. She'd never known she'd want to kiss someone this way.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," she confessed after they broke away again.

"Oh," he said simply, his hands still resting on her as though he was afraid she'd pull away if he let go. "Why didn't you?"

"It took me awhile to figure it out," she replied. "And then I wasn't sure how to go about it."

"That was a good way," he said simply, still looking confused and happy in turns. "A very, very good way."

"I'm glad," she said, sliding her fingers through his hair one last time before stepping away. "Goodnight, Arthur."

"Goodnight, Belle," he replied. "I'll be back tomorrow."

She smiled at him as he began to walk towards his car, turning back three times to make sure she was still there before getting in and driving away. She waved as he left, and hoped he didn't have an accident on his way home or anything after that distraction.

It occurred to her then that they hadn't actually talked about anything, and she'd never told him how she really felt, but that could come in good time. This was just the first step on a much longer path, and she was looking forward to every bit of it.


	46. Chapter 46

ctdg said: can i prompt something for the adoption!verse ? the bithrday of one of the three (i can't really decide who) is approaching and the other two organize something special. Special shout out to forzaouat for helping me figure out what Arthur's birthday dinner is. You complete me.

Arthur's birthday wasn't really a big deal. He was a Christmas baby, having been born just a few weeks ahead of the holiday, and when you were born that close to a massive gift giving holiday you generally just learned to live with your birthday being overlooked. It had been decades since he'd really put an awful lot of thought into the day. He and Milah would go away for a few days in lieu of actually trying to schedule a party, and aside from the fact Bae was conceived over one such trip he hadn't had much reason to think about that since she'd left.

So when he arrived at Belle's house for dinner on December seventh and realized it was a family birthday party, he was just a little on the surprised side. He'd known she wanted to do something, but since he'd never gotten back to her on any of it (he'd been a little too blindsided by her kissing him, frankly) he had just assumed she'd changed her mind or forgotten. He definitely hadn't expected to show up at her house for dinner only to find they'd hung some balloons and a happy birthday banner in the dining room. He froze where he stood in the hall, trying to make the silly decorations make some sort of sense and mean something besides Belle and Bae going out of their way to make him feel special.

"Happy birthday, Dad!" Bae said, nudging his father affectionately. "We're having chicken."

"It's a roast chicken!" Belle yelled, sounding scandalized at her son's dismissal of her cooking skills. "There are also potatoes and carrots and I made a cake."

She came over and stood on tiptoes to press a quick kiss to his cheek. It wasn't a long kiss, and they'd certainly moved beyond this casual affection for each other. He just...he couldn't quite believe they'd gone to all this trouble for _him._

"You really didn't have to do anything special," he mumbled awkwardly, unsure how to reassure her that the gesture was appreciated but that he hadn't _expected_ anything – that he wouldn't expect anything. "Thank you, though."

"It wasn't any trouble at all," she said, sounding almost confused by his confusion. "Did you think we were just going to forget?"

He actually had kind of thought that, he just didn't want to admit it to her. She gave him a little smile, though, and everything evaporated. He wanted to kiss her again, but Bae was there and they still hadn't quite had a chance to discuss where their relationship stood. He just loved them both so damn much.

They looked at each other for a moment before she was suddenly moving back to the kitchen and Bae was eagerly wanting to show off what a good wrapping job he'd done on the presents.

"Bae," Belle scolded him teasingly. "Presents are for after we eat."

"I'm just showing him!" Bae whined. "We're not even eating yet."

"Dinner will be ready in half an hour," Belle said. "What should we do in the meantime?"

Arthur was still too stunned to really figure out a good reply to her, because for all he cared he would spend the rest of the night in awed silence. The affection that had gone into this plan was just too much for him to bear. Luckily, Bae was more than willing to jump in with the suggestion that they could play games and Arthur was thrilled to comply. Belle went along good naturedly, watching them fake bowl and beating both at a boxing game two or three times. Her streak would probably have remained unopposed, except that the fire alarm went off.

"Oh God," she exclaimed, tossing her controller onto the sofa and running into the kitchen. "I completely forgot about dinner!"

Arthur had too, truth be told. He'd been enjoying their company too much to really care one way or the other about what was going on, but he still followed her dutifully into the kitchen where black smoke was billowing out of the oven. Belle was kneeling in front of it, looking crestfallen at her planned dinner.

"Bae, open the windows," she called out and the boy ran to comply faster than Arthur had ever seen him do anything.

Everyone was coughing and the beeping was still going off as Belle began fanning the smoke away from the alarm, not quite tall enough to do much good. Arthur limped over and took her place, freeing her to run around and help Bae continue venting the kitchen while he was able to get a much better angle than her on keeping the smoke away from the alarm.

Eventually, the beeping ceased and everyone took a collective sigh of relief.

"I'm so sorry," Belle said to him. "I got distracted and I ruined dinner."

"No," Arthur hurried to reassure her. "I'm sure it would have been very good, and we all knew there was only a half hour left."

She seemed very close to crying, and that was just making it worse.

"Honestly," he continued. "This is the best birthday I've had in decades. Thank you."

"I just wanted to make everything special," she said with a little sniffle that had Arthur going to hug her regardless of the fact that Bae was currently standing in the room with them. Luckily, Bae took his father's cue, going to join in with the family hug.

"Everything is special," Arthur promised. "I don't remember ever having a better birthday."

Belle took a few more minutes to collect herself, but he couldn't bring himself to care how long she needed to stay in his arms before she calmed down. The important thing was that she _was_ in his arms.

"So what are we gonna do for dinner?" Bae finally asked.

Belle looked back and forth between them before a cheerful smile bloomed on her face.

"It's your dad's birthday," she said finally, going to a drawer and pulling out some takeout menus. "Which would you prefer, Arthur? Chinese or pizza?"

"Always pizza," he said with a smile on his face.

He stayed late that night. Not for any reason in particular, he just couldn't bring himself to leave them before he absolutely had to. To Bae's relief, the cake had already been finished earlier that day and had been perfectly delicious and the pizza had only taken a half hour to arrive. The rest of the day had been dedicated to games, aside from the welcome novelty of having gifts to open. He didn't remember the last time someone had an actual present for him (well, Father's Day not withstanding) and he almost didn't want to open them at all because the idea that they existed was so much more than he'd even expected. They had to be opened, though, and Bae had selected a couple movies for his father and Belle had bought him a bottle of scotch and some slippers. There was also a novelty tie that both swore the other one was responsible for, and the teasing giggles between them made him suspect they had chosen it together.

He stayed so late that Bae's bedtime eventually came.

"Why can't I stay up with you guys?" Bae protested.

"Because your father and I are adults," Belle replied. "And our parents already failed to raise us right. I still have a chance with you, so don't ruin it."

Bae had grumbled, but in a good natured way before marching upstairs to his room leaving his parents to their comfortable silence.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Belle asked him, and it occurred to him for the first time that it really mattered to her that he did. It was important to her that he enjoy himself, and that more than anything else she could have done solidified his answer.

"I did," he replied. "Thank you again, I hadn't expected it."

"That was half the fun," she said with a little shrug. "I'm still sorry I burned the chicken though. It's one of my favorite recipes."

"I'll try it another time."

And he would, he knew. There would be other dinners and other celebrations and other days she wanted to cook something special for them to share.

He wanted to kiss her again, he decided. She was smiling at him and they were sitting together on the sofa and he could. She'd kissed him, she'd said she wanted to kiss him before. He could kiss her, she wouldn't push him away.

The realization that Belle was right here and probably _wanted_ him to kiss her was enough to set his brain nearly on fire. He wanted to brush the idea off, to pretend like he'd never even thought of it and continue with their simple conversation – but another part of him, a braver part, wanted more.

He didn't let himself second guess the choice. Waiting would mean losing whatever nerve he'd managed to accumulate. He had always said Belle deserved more and that she deserved his best effort, and here now was an opportunity to give her that.

Arthur slid closer to her, bridging the cushion that sat between them and put his arm behind her on the back of the sofa. He would give her plenty of warning, plenty of time to signal if she didn't want him there. She didn't flinch though, didn't get up and proclaim she needed another drink or that she had to be up early in the morning. Belle turned to face him, her eyes met his, and she smiled.

Oh, he was lost.

He leaned forward and captured her lips softly. She wasn't tentative or nervous this time. She was bold, leaning into him and sliding her hands underneath his jacket to trace little swirls across his chest over his shirt. He slid his hand up her cheek to run through her hair. It was softer than he'd dreamed, and it curled so nicely around his fingers.

Belle made a little purring noise as he did it and slid one hand around to the back of his neck where her nails found purchase, a delicious hint of pain making the rest of her so much sweeter. He began trailing little kisses down the side of her neck, feeling braver than he'd ever dreamed when she sighed his name into his ear and swung her legs up over his lap so she could scoot even closer. He wasn't sure what possessed him to put a hand on her thigh, but her dress had slid up and he was touching bare skin.

There was something amazingly erotic about making out with a woman on a sofa like a pair of teenagers, but they weren't teenagers anymore and he knew so much more now than he ever did then.

She seemed determined to be as close to him as physically possible, and even the scant few inches between them afforded by the angles of their bodies were filled with her hands as she touched him everywhere. He returned the favor, stroking the skin revealed by the rise of her skirt and enjoying the soft intimacy of it. That, he decided, had always been his favorite thing about Belle. There was an intimacy to their relationship he'd never really experienced with another woman before. There was no pretense with her, simply an affection that she seemed to have had for him nearly from the beginning.

Eventually, he had to stop kissing her just so he could look at her. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing heavy, a mirror of his own thrilled arousal. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to flip her back onto the sofa and not stop kissing her until they were both completely satisfied, but their son was asleep upstairs and they still hadn't discussed where this was going.

Surprisingly, those revelations did so little to cool his ardor. She was the mother of his child, and now there was a potential that there had never been before to make that title no longer require explanations. He kissed her again, just because he could, and she eagerly returned to her earlier exploration of his chest by working his shirt out of his trousers and sliding her fingertips along the bare skin of his sides and back.

"Have dinner with me," he whispered into her ear as he kissed along her jawline. "This week."

"We just had dinner," she replied with an innocence that had him pulling back to look at her cheeky smile. She was an absolute wonder.

"Have a proper dinner with me," he amended. "No Bae, just us. We can go someplace nice – anywhere you want."

"You have always known how to show a girl a good time," she replied, kissing him again quickly. "You know I'm going to say yes."

"Doesn't mean I can't ask," he said. "Or that I shouldn't."

She smiled coyly, running her fingers through his hair with a fascinated look on her face.

"Ask me again," she said at last.

"Have dinner with me," he repeated his request, punctuating it by pressing his lips to her neck again.

"Yes," she sighed after a few seconds. "I'll go out with you."

Even knowing she was going to accept (and as little difference as it made when she was in his lap and moaning with pleasure) hearing her say the words was impossibly beautiful. How had he ever found his way into this life?

It took all the willpower he possessed to leave that evening with all his clothes mostly intact.


	47. Chapter 47

latte6 said:

If Belle feels love for Arthur and begins to have 'urges', Ruby might suggest she buy a vibrator. But vibrators with children in the next room can be a problem.

"You have a _date_?" Ruby exclaimed so loudly Belle was forced to hold her phone away from her ear. "When?"

"This weekend," Belle replied, having just settled things with Arthur half an hour before she called Ruby. "I have no idea what I'm going to do."

"Well, apparently you're going to get laid."

"Ruby!" Belle shrieked, glancing quickly to make sure Bae hadn't heard her outburst before she locked herself in her bedroom. "I am not getting laid!"

"Oh come on, Belle," Ruby grumbled. "How much longer are you going to dance around this?"

"I'm not dancing around anything," Belle replied. "We're taking it slow."

"You've been wanting to jump on him since May," Ruby shot back. "That's plenty slow."

"I have not!"

"Fine," Ruby sighed. "So you're just going to keep bottling it all up until you explode from lust. What are you calling me for?"

"I need help picking a dress," Belle said petulantly. "Last time we went out I wore my nicest one and I don't know whether it's okay to use again."

"When was the last time you went out?" Ruby asked. "And which dress?"

"We went out for dinner on vacation," Belle said. "And the black one."

"You wore the boob dress on a platonic dinner date?" Ruby said incredulously. "God, no wonder the poor guy's been after you for months."

"It's not...what do you mean 'boob dress'?"

"Jeeze, Belle," Ruby replied. "Have you seen your chest in that thing?"

"It might be a little tight," Belle admitted. "See that's why I called you!"

"Alright," Ruby said. "We can go shopping tonight if you have time. Think Bae's dad will take him for the evening?"

"That can probably be arranged."

Belle had known she needed Ruby, and the dress her friend had helped her select was definitely a winner - although she wasn't _quite_ sure that it was much better than 'the boob dress' as far as being revealing went. This one had a higher neckline, but the hemline was far shorter. It was a yellow floral brocade with roses all over it. There was a thin ribbon around the waistline that fastened in a little bow in the front. It was so pretty and so incredibly short! She wasn't sure how she'd be able to sit in it, but she was at least happy she'd be able to wear tights and a sweater to go with the weather.

"You are not wearing tights," Ruby insisted. "You'll ruin the effect."

"It is December in Maine," Belle replied. "And if I bend over you can see my bits."

Ruby gave a long suffering sigh before finding a pair of nude tights with a gold hue to them.

They settled on a pair of shiny pink shoes with an ankle strap to go on her feet and Belle made a mental note not to let Ruby know she planned to wear a jacket over the top of the dress. She liked Arthur and very much wanted to look nice for this, but she also didn't want to freeze to death on the way to his car. She'd compromise on this part, at least.

"Alright," Ruby said at last once the outfit had been selected. "I have a question for you that you're not going to like."

"Oh?" Belle already didn't like where this was going, but Ruby was her best friend and had a lot more experience with this sort of thing than she did.

"How far do you think this is going to go this weekend?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Ruby said. "Do you see yourself having sex with him?"

Belle hadn't really put that much thought into it, although she probably should have. They'd known each other for months, and she knew intellectually that they would probably end up having sex at some point - she'd even had a few dreams about it. She just hadn't spent much time thinking about the _when_ and the _how._ That was a lot of thinking, and the idea of it was just a little bit overwhelming.

"Probably not this weekend," Belle said after awhile. "But...probably sooner than later."

"And has it still been ten years since the last time you had sex?"

"Oh my God," Belle exclaimed, glancing around to see if anyone had heard. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're basically a tiny little keg of sexual tension," Ruby replied. "And you're about to set yourself loose on a very unsuspecting man."

Belle honestly wasn't sure how unsuspecting Arthur was at this point, but Belle could see some of the wisdom in Ruby's statement. Sort of. Was she really _that_ overwhelmed by sexual tension?

"So what do you want me to do about it?" Belle asked earnestly. "It's a little late to go back in time and have sex with more people. And I wouldn't if I could."

She didn't want to have sex with strangers, that was why she didn't like to date. She didn't have the time or the inclination for it. She just wanted to have some idea of what the hell she was doing when this all inevitably went down. Was it too early for cold feet? She felt like she was breaking out in a nervous sweat already.

"Alright, well step one is to calm down," Ruby replied. "And I'm not saying I'll send you to the bar to find some random guy to hook up with. I just think maybe it's time to take some matters into your own hands."

"That's not a problem," Belle said, blushing. "Trust me."

"Well," Ruby said. "Then you shouldn't find this next trip all that painful."

The 'next trip' Ruby had in mind turned out to be to an adult toy store. She reassured Belle that this wasn't a creepy store (apparently the trick was to avoid places that also sold videos) and that most of the people who came here were women or couples...but 'd never been in one of these kind of places before.

Thankfully, there weren't a lot of people here. It was just Belle and Ruby, the cashier, and another woman who was over by a display of what looked like dog collars. Oh this was not even kind of her scene.

"I can't believe you brought me here," Belle said under her breath as they walked towards the wall of fake penises. "This is so embarrassing."

"Everyone here is here for the same thing," Ruby reminded her. "It's not like it's a combination sex toy and grocery store or anything."

She was right, but that really wasn't helping Belle feel any more comfortable with it.

"Can we just buy a vibrator and go home?" she asked.

"Patience," Ruby replied with a wink. "This is kind of like getting married, you have to make sure you pick the right one."

"Oh my God," Belle groaned. "I cannot believe I got talked into this."

"Alright," Ruby said as she perused the neon colored wall. "I'm assuming you don't want anything too big. Don't want to get your hopes up, anyway."

"That one is the size of my arm," Belle blurted out, staring awkwardly at a giant jelly toy. "I don't want that one."

"We weren't going to get you that one," Ruby replied patiently. "We're getting you a normal size one."

Ruby was going through the display models as Belle stood there. She'd never shopped for a vibrator before, she had no idea what she was looking for. She picked up a random hot pink one, turning it over in her hands while Ruby shopped.

"Not that one," Ruby continued, picking it up and setting it back on the counter. "Silicone toys only, jelly ones are bad for you."

"Right," Belle agreed. "So no jelly ones."

That still left a bunch of other options.

"And you don't want anything too big," Ruby replied. "What about this one?"

She handed Belle a bright blue vibrator with a knobby appearance and a protrusion on the front.

"How the hell does this even fit?" Belle asked.

"You don't put the whole thing inside you!" Ruby exclaimed loud enough to draw attention from the cashier. "The part on the front goes over your clitoris and then the whole thing vibrates."

"Oh!" Belle said, looking at it closer. "I kind of think I have a handle on that part…"

"Of course you do," Ruby replied. "Which one do you like?"

Belle took a deep breath and tried to focus on them. It was like trying to choose a book from the picture on the front.

"What about this one?" she asked, reaching past the strange lumpy ones for a smooth one with a slight curve to the front. "It looks fun."

"If you want g-spot," Ruby said. "What about one that rotates?"

"Does that make a difference?"

"It really, really does," Ruby reassured her, picking up a golden yellow one with a white handle. "See how that feels."

Belle thought she was going to choke on her tongue.

"What?!" she shrieked.

"I meant on your hand," Ruby said with a huff, pressing the button to start the vibrator.

Belle just about dropped it in surprise, but instead wrapped her hand around the rotating top. It actually felt pretty good on her palm, and she could see how it would feel good in other...places. It was soft and the way it was moving felt good.

"I think this one will be good," Belle said at last. "Isn't it kind of loud, though?"

"Once it's inside you," Ruby replied. "You'll barely hear it."

Belle's face felt like it was on fire, but she was sure Ruby knew what she was talking about. Her friend had lived with her grandma all through college. If there was one thing Belle trusted Ruby to know about, it was subtlety.

"Alright," Belle agreed. "I'll take this one."

"Is this gonna be it for you?" the cashier asked, when Belle presented her with the little box containing her new toy.

"I think so," Belle replied.

"Would you like some batteries for it?" she asked, grabbing a pack when Belle nodded. "Now, we can't take returns so let me show you how it works."

The girl popped the batteries into the compartment, turning it on and showing Belle how the controls worked.

"Now, do you need some lube?" the girl asked her after she put the toy back in the box. "Or toy cleaner?"

Belle knew she was still blushing, but she managed to nod and accept the two bottles the girl put into her bag. She glanced away, noticing a box of condoms. Oh hell, as long as she was going through all of this she might as well go all the way. She grabbed the brightly colored box and handed it to the cashier while Ruby snickered.

"What am I going to do with this stuff?" Belle mumbled to her friend.

Ruby had her hand on Belle's back as she led her out of the store.

"You're going to go home and put it inside of yourself," Ruby replied matter-of-factly. "And then you're going to have a mind blowing orgasm and call it a day."

Belle looked up in shock at Ruby's words only to realize that Regina Mills had walked into the store just in time to hear everything. Oh God, she wasn't supposed to know anyone here.

Regina was glancing back and forth between Belle and Ruby with one of her perfectly groomed brows quirked.

The last thing she really needed was Arthur's lawyer to run into her here, especially while she was (Belle realized) walking out with a tall leggy brunette whose hand was possessively on her spine and who had just commanded her to masturbate.

Neither one of them spoke, and Regina didn't even say a word as Ruby led her to her car. This was probably the most mortified she'd ever been in her life. Belle just hoped Arthur didn't find out what Regina had seen, at least not until Belle had a chance to demonstrate that she wasn't actually a lesbian.


	48. Chapter 48

It was late when Arthur's phone rang. Bae was already asleep, but the call ID said it was Belle so he picked up.

"Hello?" he said, thankful that Belle couldn't see the little grin that had blossomed on his face at the sight of her name.

"Hi, Arthur?" the voice on the other end wasn't Belle but sounded familiar. "This is Ruby Lucas. Belle's friend. We met at Thanksgiving."

"Oh, yes, of course," he replied. "Ms. Lucas. What can I do for you?"

He heard a sigh on the other end, and a lot of noises coming from the background.

"Belle needs a ride home," Ruby replied. "We went out drinking and I can't really drive her home right now but she's pretty drunk."

Now that he really listened, he could hear the slight slur in Ruby's voice as well. They were at a bar, if the pounding of music in the background was anything to go by. Belle had gone to a bar and gotten drunk. He wasn't sure why he found this mental image so funny, but somehow he'd never really thought about it before.

"Where are you?" he asked, searching for keys and wallet while Ruby answered.

"The Rabbit Hole," she admitted and he almost laughed. Sweet little innocent Belle at a dive bar.

"I'll be there shortly," he said. "Make sure she gets her phone back."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "We'll be inside."

He debated for a minute whether or not to wake Bae, but ultimately decided against it. His son was asleep and would be fine for the thirty minutes it would take to get Belle and take her home. Arthur triple checked the alarm, climbed in his car, and drove to the bar.

By the time he arrived outside the bar, his curiosity had reached a peak. How drunk did Belle have to be for her tipsy friend to think she was too drunk to be out?

The bouncer outside nodded at Arthur as he entered. The Rabbit Hole was a hole, but he'd been in similar establishments before. They were all the same, right down to the duct taped vinyl on a handful of stools and the jukebox playing the greatest hits of the 70s and 80s. He spotted Belle and her friend with a group at the bar and made his way over before Belle spotted him.

"Arthur!" she called out, sliding unsteadily off her stool and into Ruby.

"Slow down there, Drunky," Ruby said, getting to her feet and holding Belle upright as she tried to dash over to Arthur.

He couldn't help but smile as Belle pulled away from Ruby and practically collapsed into him.

"What are you doing here?" she giggled.

"I'm taking you home," he replied, glancing to Ruby. "Do you need a ride, too?"

"Nah," Ruby said. "I'm fine. I'm not really in a state to take her home right now, but I'll be fine by closing time. Plus my car is here."

"Do we need to close out her tab?"

"They cut her off about fifteen minutes before I called you," Ruby explained before turning to Belle. "Hey, I'm gonna go back to the guys. It's been a great day though!"

"Ruby, I had so much fun!" Belle gushed, turning to hug her friend. "Thank you so much for taking me shopping I had such a fun day."

"We should do it again!" Ruby exclaimed. "Come on, let's go get your stuff out of my car."

Belle nodded, plastering herself back against Arthur as they walked out the door. Between his cane and her tottering on a pair of ridiculous heels the likes of which he'd never seen her in before, it was slow going to his car. Ruby jogged ahead, retrieving some bags from the trunk of her car and putting them in the back seat of Arthur's car. She gave Belle another hug and then retreated back to the bar and their friends.

"Thank you so much for getting me," Belle slurred. "I missed you so much."

She had burrowed under his coat again, snuggling into his chest and swaying drunkenly.

"It's no matter," he said, petting her hair a little for a lack of anything else to do. "Let's get you home."

Belle nodded slowly, stumbling back for a second as he opened the car door for her and helped her into the passenger's seat before making his way around to the other side of the car to let himself into the driver's side.

"So what did you buy today?" he asked by way of conversation as he turned out into the street.

"I bought a dress," she slurred, putting her foot up on the dashboard. "And these shoes. For our date. And a vibrator, because Ruby says I need to have more orgasms."

He thought he was going to choke from that revelation. His initial reaction was that she was (in her own, drunken way) teasing him except that she looked dead serious. He suddenly had the overwhelming need to look in the bags Ruby had put in the car.

"Oh?" he finally managed to croak out.

"Yeah," Belle continued. "I think she's wrong though but don't tell her because I don't think she believes me but it's okay. My dress is really pretty."

This was like trying to carry on a conversation with a toddler, he realized. She was making very little sense and mostly just left him wanting to drag her back to the previous subject.

"I'm sure it is," he replied. "But you're pretty in anything."

She turned to stare at him for an uncomfortably long time, and when he could finally take his eyes off the road to glance at her, she was looking at him as though he'd suddenly turned into a much more handsome man all of a sudden.

"That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," she said, sounding so dead serious he almost laughed at her. She was absolutely hammered.

Belle didn't notice his amusement at her state, thankfully. Instead she leaned to put her head on his shoulder and stroked his arm softly.

He'd initially meant to take her to her house and drop Bae off the next day, but he wasn't sure he really trusted her to be home alone in when she was so indisposed. He'd seen her tipsy before, but this was a whole new level of drunk. He sincerely doubted she'd been that drunk in over a decade, if ever. Luckily, she was wearing jeans and a simple top so he wouldn't feel too bad about her sleeping in them as he turned towards his house. He didn't want to leave Bae alone long enough to get his mother tucked into bed, anyway.

She was quiet the rest of the way to his house, dozing lightly against his arm as he tried to steer. The house was quiet as he pulled into the driveway and parked. Belle stirred, and he gently shook her awake.

"We're here, sweetheart," he said softly. "Time to get you into bed."

She nodded sleepily, waiting patiently as he got out and walked around to help her to her feet. She stumbled against him and gave him another one of those super serious looks.

"Arthur, there is something I have to tell you."

She was so painfully close and clinging to him so sweetly. He was going to die.

"Yes, dear?" he asked.

"No matter what Regina says I'm not a lesbian."

"Oh," he blurted out. What the hell was he supposed to say to that. "Okay. I'll...keep that in mind."

"I just thought you should know," she explained, sagging against him as he tried to guide her upstairs.

"Arthur?" she said as he led her into the bedroom she'd slept in when she had been staying there. "I think I'm drunk."

"A little bit," he agreed, sitting her on the bed. "But it's okay."

"I don't think I can get my shoes off," she said. "They were hard to get on."

He didn't need a bigger hint than that, dragging a chair from the little desk over to the side of the bed so he could pull her feet into his lap and work the ankle straps open.

"We forgot my vibrator in the car," she muttered, laying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling. "I hope it's okay overnight."

It was a wonder his damn fingers were working if she was going to keep talking like that.

"I wish I hadn't let Ruby talk me into it," she continued. "But she says I need to have more orgasms or I'm going to go crazy with lust on our date."

There was absolutely no liquid left in his mouth and his fingers wouldn't stop shaking. She was too drunk to notice the trouble he was having with her shoes, thank goodness.

"I don't think she's right though," Belle was still talking, to herself or to him he couldn't be sure. "Because I was fine for the last ten years so I don't think the vibrator will really help with anything anyway. Because if I missed sex I'd have missed it before now, right?"

He wasn't really sure what the hell she was talking about, but if she stopped talking he was pretty sure that his head was going to explode, so he managed to force out a very confused sounding 'oh?'

"I didn't really miss sex though," Belle was still mumbling, raising herself up on her elbows. "I didn't even _like_ sex! Is that weird? I've had sex I just never used to really care too much."

The blood was rushing through his ears, and he had no idea how to reply. Belle didn't like sex? Not that it made too much difference in whether or not he liked her, but it was still a little disappointing.

"But now I kinda miss it," she blurted out. "It's weird though, right? To just suddenly be interested in sex? Maybe that's what Ruby's talking about."

She was pouting now and he couldn't quite decide if he was aroused or not, but at least he'd finally gotten one of her shoes off.

"I just don't think a vibrator will help," she continued, letting herself fall back on the bed. "I mean if I'm thinking about having sex with you then I should just have sex with you, right? Because that's what I want to have happen now."

Well, now he was aroused. How long had she been thinking about this? And more importantly, was she thinking about it because she was actually interested? He didn't want to force her into anything, but she seemed to be interested at least.

"Arthur," she muttered, sitting up again and leaning forward as he freed her other foot. "Do you wanna have sex with me?"

He was going to die. He was literally going to die. He was half sure that he was actively having a heart attack, and half sure that he'd be thrilled to have one if it meant escaping this conversation. They had hit a dangerous topic. As interesting as she'd been, he didn't have the benefit of a blood alcohol level that high over the legal limit. He'd remember all of this in the morning. He was staring at her openly, and he knew his jaw was hanging open but he couldn't figure out how to actually close it long enough to form words.

"You don't," she said sadly, flopping back onto the bed. "It's okay, you don't have to."

"No, no," he corrected, coming to sit next to her. "That's not it at all. You just took me by surprise and also...you're a little drunk."

"I am drunk," she agreed, sitting up to snuggle into his shoulder. "But I think I want to."

The fact that he hadn't had sex in almost as long as she hadn't was roaring through his brain, and some less honorable parts of him were screaming at him to kiss her and see where things went, but the rest of him knew it was wrong. He wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how to reassure her that he wanted her without crossing a line.

"I like you," she said softly. "I like your accent. And your butt."

"I like yours as well," he replied, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice. "And I like you very much, I promise."

"Yeah?"

"I do," he said, kissing the top of her head. "If you were sober and asking I'd take you right here."

He wasn't actually sure he'd be able to go through with that if she did, but there was no reason to tell her his own insecurities, was there? Not when she was being so open right now.

"Promise?" she asked, looking up at him with a pretty little smile on her face. "Cuz I think I really want to. I don't care what Ruby says, if I'm going to have sex I wanna do it with you and not a machine."

"I promise," he said, thinking about whatever rules of baseball he could remember to try to pull the blood back into his brain. "But you need to go to bed."

"I do," she said, yawning and sliding down his arm a little. "I'm so tired."

"Sleep well," he said, kissing her forehead and helping her under the covers. "I'll see you in the morning."

She gave a little groan of acknowledgment and tried to burrow into the pillow. He smiled at her as he flipped the light off, but as soon as he was in the hallway reality slapped him in the face.

He really hoped she was drunk enough not to remember any of this in the morning, because he still had to face her for a date on Saturday and if she couldn't look at him from sheer embarrassment that was really going to put a damper on things.

His bed had never felt so lonely before.


	49. Chapter 49

Belle was pretty sure she was already dead. Her mouth tasted stale and dry and her head was pounding. She was too scared to even open her eyes and let the light in. Even the skin of her hands was itchy and dry. She hadn't been this hungover in a long time - not since college, actually. She didn't really remember going home, but she did remember Arthur showing up at some point and getting into his car. Oh God.

She slowly opened her eyes enough to take in her surroundings. Sure enough, she was nestled into bed in the guest room she'd slept in while they'd been staying with Arthur. So he'd taken her home and put her in bed while she'd been sloppy drunk. This was mortifying. She never got drunk like that and now she was sticky and her clothes were itchy and she smelled like an ashtray. She wished she'd had the foresight to leave some clothes here when she moved back to her house afterward. She slowly rolled herself toward the edge of the bed, at which point her stomach revolted and she had to rest a minute to try to settle herself back before continuing her attempts to get out of bed.

By the time she finally swung her legs down to sit perched on the edge of the bed, she felt well enough to take a glance around at which point she saw a soft cotton t-shirt and drawstring pajama pants set nicely at the foot of the bed. He'd left her something to change into, that sweet man.

She didn't get too much time to think about how appreciative she was before her stomach did another flip and sent her running to the bathroom.

After she managed to empty whatever remained in her stomach, she rinsed her mouth out with water and stripped to climb in the shower. She knew from her previous stay here that Arthur had this bathroom stocked with little shampoos from various hotels and she helped herself to a shampoo, conditioner, and bar of soap. Just getting the makeup off and the bar smell out of her hair and skin made her feel a million times better, even if she ended up throwing up in the shower again before she got out. The worn cotton of the shirt and pants felt like an indulgence, even if she'd have to change back into her other clothes before she left at least she could be clean and fresh for a few hours.

Her stomach felt a little better - even if her head didn't - when she made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Bae was sitting at the breakfast bar while Arthur cooked something that had her stomach lurching again.

"Good morning," Bae chirped as Belle planted herself into a seat and tried really hard to block out the light. "Dad said you were staying over but that we should let you sleep."

She nodded, wishing the movement didn't have her head cracking open again. She'd felt better in the shower but she still felt sick.

"I also said she might need a little extra time to wake up this morning," Arthur said in a soft voice she was ever so grateful for. "Your mother had a little too much fun with your Aunt Ruby last night."

He set a mug of tea in front of her and Belle would have thanked him for it if she were sure that speaking was a good idea. She tried to smile at him long enough to convey some of the depth of her gratitude, and he smiled back so she hoped he got the message.

There was a plate of toast and eggs in front of her after she'd only gotten a little ways into the coffee. Bae had bacon and pancakes as well, but she wasn't quite sure her stomach would hold for all that.

"You'll feel better if you eat," Arthur said, still smiling at her with a little knowing look on his face. "Did you sleep well?"

There was something going on and she wasn't quite sure what it was. What the hell had happened last night?

"I slept fine," she finally said, her voice feeling raw in her throat. "Thank you for leaving out the clothes."

"It's no matter," he replied, taking his own plate and sitting down on the other side of Bae.

Once she was feeling slightly more human (the eggs and toast really did help) she set about trying to remember whatever she could from the night before. She didn't remember a whole lot after leaving the bar, but she was able to begin to piece things together. She remembered being at the bar with Ruby. She remembered Arthur showing up. She remembered Ruby putting the shopping bags in Arthur's car - oh _God_ the vibrator was still in Arthur's car. She was going to have to take a ride with that, Arthur, and Bae all together in the car in order to get home. Oh no, he'd asked her about her day shopping and she'd told him what Ruby said about orgasms. She knew she was blushing now, and she wanted the floor to swallow her up before she had to face him again.

The night was coming back to her in bits and pieces now. She remembered that he had to wake her up to get out of the car, she remembered wanting him to look at her shoes and making him take them off of her. She remembered her drunken brain deciding it was a good time to try to make a move, which in hindsight she should probably apologize for. Aside from that, it was mostly a lot of images. She remembered seeing him, and she remembered at one point he was sitting next to her on the bed, but she was having a hard time separating reality from fantasy since her memories of the previous night were shifting dangerously.

The only things Belle was one hundred percent sure of were that she owed Arthur an apology and she wasn't sure she wouldn't prefer the floor to open up and swallow her whole before she had to give it to him.

Bae was chatting away to his father who was providing all the correct interjections at the right time as far as Belle could tell, but she was kind of absorbed in her own little world at the moment. After a few minutes that felt like an eternity, Bae finally excused himself to go watch TV while his father began cleaning up after breakfast. Belle took a deep breath and looked up at him, attempting to psych herself up to apologize and ask what she'd done the night before. It wasn't working.

"Do you want some aspirin?" he asked her before she could say anything.

"Yes please," she replied, grateful for his interruption. Aspirin was a safe topic, and everything else was so scary.

He went to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle before handing it to her. She fished a couple pills out and downed them with the remainder of Bae's orange juice. By the time she looked at him again, Arthur was loading the plates into the dishwasher. His back was towards her, so she indulged herself in watching him for a little while. He was a good dad, she decided. He took good care of their son, and he'd taken care of her. She enjoyed watching him with Bae, because the amount of love he clearly had for the boy was always evident. It was something worth it to see, and even if he'd meant nothing to her she'd have loved him for that.

Belle loved Arthur. That in and of itself wasn't much, he was the father of her son and had been a great friend to her. She had begun to suspect that her feelings may run deeper than that, though. Was she in love with him? She wasn't sure she'd been in love with anyone before, was this what it felt like? This _need_ to be near him and the breathless excitement of potential? This absolute terror of losing him?

"I think I might owe you an apology," she finally said into the silence of the kitchen. "For last night."

"Oh," he said with a little blush blooming on his cheeks. "Do you?"

"I don't really remember a whole lot about it," she admitted. "But what I do remember...I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "You were charming."

"Do you mind if I ask what exactly I said?"

"You were a little...forward," he said diplomatically. "But mostly you seemed very concerned about whether or not I knew you liked me."

There was a little bit of a teasing note in his voice, but he didn't sound like he was lying.

"Oh my God," she said, letting her face fall into her hands. "I'm such a dork, I'm so sorry."

"It was endearing," he said. "And for the record, I like you, too."

Now she knew she was blushing all the way down to her chest - she wouldn't be surprised if it was all the way down to her toes, honestly.

"Anything else?" she asked, risking a glance at him as he shuffled from one foot to the other. "Oh no, there was, wasn't there? What did I say?"

"You...might have discussed some purchases you made yesterday," he said. "And the...reasons for them. And how you didn't think that they would uhhh - help."

Oh. Oh no. No no no no. She hadn't. Had she? Apparently she had. Oh this was beyond bad.

"Alright then," she said after a minute. "If you'll excuse me, I think I need to go join a convent."

"No," he practically jumped forward to put a hand on her arm and stop her from escaping. "There's really no need to be embarrassed. It...it was nice to hear. And I don't think anything less of you or expect anything."

He sounded so desperate in that moment, as though he was the one with something to apologize for and not the person who'd given up a portion of his evening to rescue her from her own bad judgment only to get sexually harassed in his own home by a drunk woman.

Belle wasn't really sure how to reassure him that it wasn't his behavior she was upset by, or how to really apologize for her own.

"We never did talk about where we stand, did we?" she finally said, sliding back onto the stool.

"We didn't," he agreed. "But now is as good a time as any, I suppose."

"It's going to have to be," she replied. "About last night...I shouldn't have had as much to drink as I did, and I don't really remember everything I said. I definitely shouldn't have said what I do remember and I am sorry."

He nodded, glancing away as though the answers to all her questions could be found outside the window.

"Don't worry too much about it," he said after a little while. "It wasn't - you weren't a bother. I won't say it wasn't enlightening, but it definitely wasn't a bother."

"We're in a very strange place, aren't we?"

"We are," he replied. "But I think it's worth it. I'm happy with how things are, anyway."

"I am too," she hurried to reassure him. "My concern is that we have to move things along at such a strange pace. We've known each other for months, so on the one hand we've sort of skipped ahead of the getting to know each other parts but at the same time we've never really had any of the conversations you're supposed to have leading into a dating relationship."

"That's true," he said slowly. "Are you having second thoughts about...this?"

"No, not at all," she replied. "I'm just not entirely sure how to make the leap between you being Bae's other parent and you being someone I'm kissing now. We've gone someplace beyond friends but I don't really know what the rules are for this."

"Do we have to have rules for it?" he asked her earnestly. "Can't we just see where it goes?"

"Not really," she said. "We have Bae to worry about. Either this is serious and going someplace or we're risking our son's happiness for a fling."

He was looking out the damn window again with a thoughtful look on his face, though he kept glancing back to her quickly like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to go about it. Had she scared him off?

"Arthur?" she said after a little while. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I wasn't entirely prepared to skip straight from our first kiss to 'where is this relationship going?' before the first date, but I guess since we had a kid before we first met we've never really done any of this in the correct order."

She smiled at him in what she hoped was an encouraging fashion, not really sure how to reply.

"If you're asking me if I'm taking this seriously," he continued. "Then the answer is yes. An unequivocal yes, no reservations and no intention of backing out. Yes, I am one hundred percent here for this and for you. I'm not seeing other people and I'm not keeping an eye out for something else to come along. It isn't even a matter of putting all my eggs in one basket, I don't have any other eggs or any other baskets - this is it. If you're asking if I'm your boyfriend, then the answer is that I'm whatever you need me to be. If putting a name on it makes you feel better, then yes, we're dating. Barring any last minute revelations about still living first husbands or you turning out to be a vampire of some variety...I don't see a future that you're not a part of. Does that answer your question?"

"It does," she replied, taking a deep breath to try to force down the tears of happiness that were threatening to come out. "And I want you to know that I'm in the same place. I want you to be in my future - in our future, really - I don't want this to be something that goes away. If we're really going to do this, then let's do it all the way. I don't want to pretend like I'm not interested in spending the rest of my life with you just because we haven't started dating yet."

"I really don't want that either," he said, smiling at her with a relieved look on his face. "But honestly, I'd already halfway resigned myself to spending the rest of my life with you just by the virtue of having the child together. Anything else is just icing on the cake."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead quickly before going back to cleaning the kitchen. She sipped her tea and watched him a little while longer. She knew she should offer to help, but the combination of her hangover and the sheer relief she felt at the completion of this conversation had her rooted to her seat. She hadn't planned on having this conversation, and she still had no idea what she'd told him the night before, but Belle felt dizzy with relief at the way this had all gone. He didn't think she was crazy, and he was as invested in this as she was.

She couldn't stop smiling, but - from the glances of his face she caught when he turned to steal glances at her - neither could he.


	50. Chapter 50

Arthur probably shouldn't be as nervous as he was. It was just a date, after all. He'd been on dates before - not in a long time, granted, but he'd done it. Hell, he'd even been out to dinner alone with Belle before. Every individual aspect of this night had been covered already, but somehow the idea of having to tackle all of them at once had his stomach in knots and his palms sweating.

He was going on a date. With Belle. Alone.

If he managed to get through the entire night without making an ass of himself, it'd be a damn miracle. He'd already had to change his shirt due to excessive perspiration. This was going to be an exercise in self-torture.

He arrived at her house about fifteen minutes early, so he parked and waited. No need to seem over eager, even though he absolutely was over eager and they both knew it. He was out there for about five minutes when her door opened and she peaked outside. He resisted the urge to slide down in his seat because who the hell else would be sitting in his car in her driveway?

She gave him a brilliant smile as he shamefacedly got out of the car and walked to the front door. May at least give doing this right a shot before he could mess it up any more.

"Hey," she said as he reached the porch. "I was wondering if that was you out there."

"I was early," he said as nonchalantly as he could. "Didn't want to interrupt anything."

"Oh no I've been ready," she replied. "And you're never a bother, you know. Just let me get my coat?"

He nodded, watching as she retreated back into the house for a moment. He didn't dare follow her. He'd been inside her home before a hundred times, but this was different somehow. This time he wasn't here as her friend or as Bae's father, he was here as her date. He was the man who was probably going to be kissing her goodnight at the front door this evening. Oh for goodness sake, he'd kissed her before! Why was he so worried about it now?

She turned back to him wearing a tan peacoat left unbuttoned and for the first time he really took in the dress that she had assured him the other night would be very pretty. She'd been right, of course. It was a pale yellow brocade with a rose pattern and she practically glowed in it. He recognized her tall pink shoes from taking them off of her while she was drunk, which made him think of taking them off of her while she was sober and wearing the short yellow dress. This was a bad place to take his thoughts and he desperately tried to look anywhere but at the shoes. The shoes were going to lead him into trouble.

"Is Bae with a friend?" he asked, trying to direct the conversation someplace safer.

"Yeah," she replied. "He's at a sleepover at the Tillman house."

"Tillman as in Coach Tillman?" he asked. "As in the guy you went on a date with?"

"It was one date," she replied. "And Bae is still friends with his kids."

"Of course," he said, confused at his own reaction. "I just hadn't heard much about them for awhile is all."

"They're more of his 'basketball season' friends," Belle explained. "August is more of a soccer season friend."

"So I take it you decided not to tell him you had plans?"

"I didn't," she admitted, looping her arm through his on their way to the car. "I thought it was probably best to keep things between us for right now. Besides, this way he'll be gone all night."

He almost tripped over his feet at that. Even a week ago he wouldn't have believed what she'd just insinuated, but he would have had to be a complete idiot to miss it _now_. She had just implied that they might be together all night (or at least for a good portion of it). He suddenly wished he'd brought another shirt to change into because this was going to be a long evening and he wasn't sure this one would last.

The restaurant was a nice one. It wasn't the nicest one in town, but it was close - it was also the nicest seafood restaurant within an hour's drive. There was a five star place a little closer, but going there would have required reservations and calling in favors and he didn't want to try too hard this early. He could always take her there later, but he didn't want to start this whatever it was by showing off too much.

She knew him well enough to wait in the car so he could come around to open the door for her, which gave him a chance to take a deep breath before helping her out. It wasn't until her hand was in his that he realized she was still wearing the opal ring he'd given her during the custody agreement.

He could do this.

They didn't speak on the way into the restaurant, but then they didn't really have to. It wasn't until the hostess had seated them and the waitress taken their drink orders that he realized he had no idea what to talk about besides Bae.

He didn't want to talk about Bae. Bae was a mood killer. Bae would remind her of being a mother and that wasn't what he wanted to accomplish right now. He wanted her to think about being on a date and whether or not she liked him and if they'd kiss when he walked her home. Parenting wasn't the same as being a couple, and he didn't want to blur those lines just yet. He was in this for the long haul, but he wanted her to want him there.

"This is awkward," she said after a few minutes. "Isn't it?"

"A little," he admitted. "It's been a long time since I had to try to impress a woman."

"It's been a long time since anyone tried to impress me," she replied casually. "But I'd like to think we're past that, aren't we?"

"I suppose," he said. "But I'd rather not skip that entirely."

"Oh really?"

"Well," he replied, trying not to focus too hard on how pretty she was in candlelight. "You deserve to have someone try to impress you."

Her entire body language changed at that, her shoulders relaxed a little and her face broke out with a beautiful smile that reached her eyes. He wanted to kiss her but there was a table in the way, and he'd hopefully have plenty of time for that later. Right now he just had to make it through dinner without making a complete ass of himself.

Why was there so much more pressure right now than there had been even when they'd first met, anyway? She knew him now and had apparently decided there was something about him worth going out with in the first place. If anything, he was in a better place now that he had been then.

They had ordered oysters as an appetizer, but it didn't occur to him until he was staring at them that they were supposed to be an aphrodisiac. He wondered if she made the connection herself, but she looked so damn innocent as selected one of them from the platter, tilted her head back, and let the meat of it slide into her mouth. Dammit, seafood had been a poor choice.

The rest of dinner went well, actually, aside from nerves that had his stomach in knots and left him unable to eat more than a little bit of his meal. After appetizers (and a cocktail each) conversation had come easier, and by dessert they were both laughing.

"So," she said sweetly, dragging her spoon idly through the top of her chocolate mousse. "I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she replied, glancing up. "But it might be a little weird."

"Well now I'm nervous."

"It's not bad," she hurried to reassure him. "I was just wondering how long you'd been wanting to try this?"

"You mean date you?" he asked and she nodded in reply. "Well, that's kind of a complicated question."

"I have time," she replied. "I have no other plans for the night."

"Almost from the beginning," he admitted. "I have a bit of a thing for fair brunettes, so that didn't really help. But it was more than that fairly quickly. By the time we went on vacation I certainly had feelings for you. I think that's why I was so nervous about people thinking we were married."

She nodded sympathetically and reached out to touch his hand.

"I think I kind of halfway knew by then," she said. "I didn't want to know, and it was easy enough to ignore after we got back."

"What do you mean?"

"Honestly," she said softly. "This is so embarrassing, but I had a...a dream about you while we were on vacation. After we went to dinner I took a bath and fell asleep and well...you were there."

She was blushing a little bit but also seemed halfway exhilarated by the admission. She was leaning forward just enough that he was needing to focus so as not to look down her dress.

"What kind of dream?" he asked her, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear her say it.

"The kind you're thinking of," she replied, biting her lower lip a little and looking away demurely.

He'd almost have thought she was embarrassed if not for the foot that was working its way up his pants leg. She may have had enough to drink.

"So," he said, clearing his throat and trying to maintain some kind of composure. "When did you decide you were interested in _more_?"

She looked away and her foot stilled, but she turned back to him and resumed her under the table flirtation soon enough.

"More recently than that," she said quietly. "I knew there was something there by the vacation, but I wasn't sure what yet."

"Oh?"

"I'm not the most experienced at this sort of thing," she continued. "I've really only seriously dated one person since high school and I haven't really wanted to since."

"George?" he asked, knowing the answer already but wanting confirmation.

He hadn't quite realized the tall deputy had broken her heart so badly.

"Yeah," she replied. "I probably should send him a thank you note after this. He's the one who pointed out I liked you."

Well, he hadn't expected her to say _that._

"Did he?"

"That's why we broke up," she replied. "He said I had a thing for you and should give it a try."

So basically they'd been wasting time since he was in the hospital. He wasn't sure if he should cosign her thank you note to George or go slam his head against a wall in sheer frustration. Although between his recovery and her getting pneumonia there hadn't been much time to do much of anything.

"Here's to not wasting time, then," he said, holding his glass out in a toast. She clinked her glass to his and took a sip.

"I'm glad we figured it out at least," Belle added. "Anyway, I wouldn't have wanted to do anything over the summer. It was too soon."

"You're worth the wait," he replied. "If you wanted to wait until Bae was out of the house to go out again...I won't say I'd be thrilled, but I'd understand."

"I know," she said. "That's why I thought you'd be worth the risk."

They stayed at the table for long after they reasonably should have left. He didn't want to leave, though. Leaving meant her foot wouldn't be on his leg and her attention wouldn't be on him. Leaving meant going back to separate houses and not knowing when he'd have her full attention again.

Eventually, though, it was time to lead her back to the car. Both of their drinks had long ago worn off but she still held his hand all the way back and held it again as he drove her home. It had been a long time since anyone held his hand, and her skin was so soft he found himself wishing he'd picked a restaurant that was further away because far too soon he was pulling into her driveway and the date was over.

She waited for him to come around and open her door again before she got out. Belle held his hand again as he walked her back up the porch to the door.

"I had a really good time tonight," Belle said, turning to face him. "I'd like to do it again."

"I would too," he replied. "I'd like that very much."

"Good," she said.

"Good."

She leaned forward and kissed him before he could make a bigger idiot out of himself. He couldn't really believe he'd been so worried about this. She liked him. She'd told him she liked him, and now she was kissing him.

He wrapped his arms around her now and she melted into him, her lips never quite leaving his. She was warm against him and their son wouldn't be home until tomorrow sometime.

"Would you like to come in?" she murmured. "For um, coffee?"

There was no reason to turn her down, except for the little voice in his head reminding him that she didn't like sex and she hadn't missed it. But then, she'd said she wanted to have sex with him. She said it had been a long time and it had been almost as long for him. He wasn't ready for this. This wasn't coffee, this was a chance to completely mess everything up.

There was no way he could say yes, and there was no way to turn her down.

She leaned forward to kiss him again and he reciprocated without even thinking about it. She was delicious and beautiful and he was such an idiot for what he was about to do, but here he was about to do it.

"Not yet," he said after a moment. "I'd love to, _believe_ me I'd love to, but I'd like to wait a little bit longer before _coffee_. It's just…"

"No, of course," she replied, standing up a little straighter. "You're right. It's too soon."

He kissed her again quickly.

"I just want to make sure we're both ready," he reassured her.

"You're right," she said. "This has to work, after all. We might as well do things right."

That's it, he was doing things right. He wasn't backing out because he was terrified of letting her down, it was because he respected her too much. He kissed her again, running his fingers through her hair, hoping to remind her that it wasn't about not wanting her - never about not wanting her.

She threw her arms around his neck again and leaned into him. He fell back against the front door and kept kissing her leisurely. She was perfect, and he could do this right. She was worth it.

He was painfully aroused when she finally pulled away, but the happy little smile on her face and the way she dropped the keys once before she could let herself in the house made it worth it.

He was going to do this right, for Belle's sake and for Bae's.


	51. Chapter 51

There was a prompt. I misplaced it.

"So," Dr. Archie Hopper said as he glanced back and forth between Arthur and Belle. "How long have you two been dating?"

It would have been stupid to lie to the therapist about their new relationship, but something about hearing the word 'dating' used in reference to what she and Arthur were doing made it all a lot more real no matter how serious things had gotten.

"We've been on one date," Arthur said simply, looking over at Belle before continuing. "But things had been progressing before that."

"And have you told Bae?"

"No," Belle said. "That was one of the things we really wanted to talk about and get help with."

"I see," Archie replied. "Usually, I encourage dating parents to let their children know when they start seeing someone new but to delay introductions until you're reasonably sure the new person will be in their life for the foreseeable future. In your case...I have to admit, this is a new one for me."

"It is a bit of an unusual case," Arthur said and Belle could hear the little smile in his voice as he said it.

"We don't want to tell him too soon," Belle explained. "But we're both pretty sure there's a future here, too. And it's not like there's a risk of him losing one of us."

"No, of course not," Archie replied quickly. "With divorced parents who start dating again, we recommend waiting until there's a reasonable certainty of a marriage on the horizon simply to avoid putting the child through a second divorce. In your case, though...Bae's never actually _been_ through a divorce or even a breakup and he's never had a reasonable expectation of you two being together. So of course we'd like to spare him the trauma, but there's also probably no need to wait quite that long, either."

"So basically," Arthur said. "Your guess is as good as ours?"

Archie chuckled at that.

"Well, not quite that simplistic," the doctor replied. "But this is largely uncharted territory for everyone. I would caution you against moving too soon yourselves, though. The early part of any relationship is the easiest and while right now it can be easy to say there's definitely a romantic future for the two of you, until now you've both been able to retreat back to separate corners at the end of the day. Being together is going to be a different challenge than coparenting has been."

"That's true of anything, though," Arthur said a little defensively, reaching out to hold Belle's hand. "If Belle had simply started dating me without knowing who Bae's father was it would have been different."

"That's very true," Archie said. "And in some ways, it will actually be easier than if you were just an unrelated stranger. Bae already cares about you, and you've established a routine as a family. But while those will be of a massive benefit later on, right now they just add an extra layer of risk."

"We have been thinking about this for awhile," Belle said. "This isn't just a spur of the moment decision."

"Honestly," Archie said. "I'm a little surprised by two things: I'm surprised this didn't come up sooner and at the same time I'm surprised that you began dating your ex a little while ago, Belle."

Arthur's hand was squeezing hers now and she wasn't quite sure if it was support or him trying very hard to pretend like he hadn't wondered the same things himself. She really had a lot to explain.

"I think those both have the same explanation," she replied after a little while. "I was scared of what you were talking about earlier. I didn't want to do anything to risk hurting Bae."

Archie nodded a little and Arthur was now rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb encouragingly.

"I'm going to ask you a question," Archie said. "And I don't expect you to have an answer for me right away, but I'd like you to think about it and we can revisit it at the end of the session."

"Alright."

"Why do you think it is that you haven't seriously been involved with a man between George and Arthur?"

"I had a child," Belle blurted out instantly. "I went on a few dates, but I never really met anyone I was interested in introducing to Bae."

"And why do you think that is?"

She thought about making a crack about finding a decent single man, but thought better of it. The truth was, she hadn't really ever put much thought at all into why she'd never met someone. She hadn't ever been very interested in dating men to the point that she had tried dating a girl a few times in college only to promptly realize that she wasn't particularly interested in that either.

"Honestly, I've never really cared about dating," she finally admitted. "I have a hard time jumping from meeting someone to becoming romantically interested in them. I always have."

Archie nodded again, making a little note on his pad.

"I'm not really sure why this is a big deal," Arthur said for her. "I haven't dated in a long time either. It happens."

"It does," Archie replied. "I'm really more interested in her reasons right now. Belle, have you ever heard of asexuality?"

"You mean like plants?" she asked.

"Well, yes and no," Archie said. "In humans, asexuality refers to someone who simply doesn't feel sexual attraction."

Well, she had gone a long time without feeling any particular sexual urges that weren't directed at superheroes her son made her watch. She'd always just chalked that up to being a single mom, though. Her world revolved around Bae and he had always been enough. But there had been a time before Bae, and she hadn't been interested then either. Except, she was now.

"But..." Belle looked over at Arthur, not quite really sure what to say to explain it.

_But I want to have sex with him_ seemed like more than this relationship could stand up to. He had a sympathetic look on his face and gave her hand a gentle squeeze and suddenly she realized: he knew. The other night when she'd been babbling about the vibrator she still hadn't made any use of...she'd told him things she didn't quite remember, she might have told him about this.

"Asexuality exists on a spectrum," Archie said as though reading her thoughts. "Some asexual people are completely repulsed by sex while others are very capable of feeling sexual desire when they're emotionally involved with someone. Do you think that sounds like you?"

Belle's mouth was dry all of a sudden and Arthur looked as stunned as if he'd been hit by a brick and they were both just staring at the therapist like he had just handed them the Rosetta Stone and an ancient text and told them to go nuts.

"I...I just thought that was normal," she said, trying to catch up with her racing mind. "I mean, you're not supposed to want to sleep with strangers, right?"

"There's no such thing as _normal_," Archie said calmly. "Especially when it comes to human sexuality. However, this is entirely within the realm of healthy. There's not a treatment for it and it's not something that there's any need to try to cure."

"So if I am this...whatever it is..."

"Asexual or possibly demisexual," Archie interrupted.

"Right, so if I'm what you said," Belle couldn't quite bring herself to use the words just yet. "Then what does _that_ mean? That I'm not able to have relationships?"

She looked at Arthur again. He didn't even look upset, just completely resigned to whatever this was. Meanwhile she couldn't be more agitated. It hadn't ever occurred to her that there was anything different about her at all. And now there was a psychologist sitting here offering her a label for something that she hadn't known had one.

"Not at all," Archie said hurriedly. "I would say you're more than capable of feeling an emotional connection with a person and you would know better than anyone if you also feel sexual attraction and when that is. But if you are going to attempt a romantic relationship then your best chance at success is with a partner who knows exactly what your desires and expectations are."

"I think we're still pretty far away from her needing to explain anything to me," Arthur said before she could even process what was going on. "And...honestly. It doesn't make a difference to me. It's hardly a surprise, after all."

"Oh my God," she exclaimed, looking over at Arthur. "You already knew."

"I didn't realize you didn't," he said in a rush as though he was defending himself. "You might have mentioned something about it the night you went out with Ruby and I might have looked some articles up. It's really fine."

She put her hand over her mouth and just stared at him in her shock. How had she been the last to know about this?

"So, what?" she asked him, completely forgetting that there was a third person in the room. "You were just planning on never actually having sex ever again? Is that why you wouldn't come inside the other night?"

"That's not the _only_ reason," he replied.

"But it was a factor?"

"I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do," Arthur said almost sadly. "Especially not _that. _If you're not interested in it then I'm not. I'm here for you, Belle, not sex."

Archie cleared his throat and they both turned to face him at the same instance, apparently having both forgotten him in the shock of the moment.

"I think you're both overreacting to this," he said simply. "Belle, nothing has changed about you at all. If you do want to have sex, then nobody is telling you that you can't. The purpose of having a label for this is so that you don't have to feel strange or broken for not wanting it. And Arthur, while it's very good that you're not going to try to pressure her it's ultimately up to Belle if she feels a sexual attraction for you and you have to trust her to make her own choices in the matter. If she says she wants to have sex, then there's no reason for you to turn her down unless you don't want to."

They were both sitting completely still on Archie's couch. Belle was suddenly exhausted, she hadn't even realized this was going to be a problem between them. Was he just going to keep turning her down every time she tried to initiate anything sexual in the name of not pressuring her? Would he eventually have just given in and assumed she was doing it as a favor to him? She didn't want to have this conversation with Archie there, though. The therapist already knew more about her sex life than she had ever dreamed he would, and had left her with a lot to think about.

Thankfully, they were almost out of time by then and the rest of the session went fairly smoothly. Archie asked the usual questions about communication and how they felt Bae was doing. He seemed to be a lot better since Thanksgiving, but she was still worried about how little he wanted to talk to them. Archie nodded and smiled and took a series of notes about their concerns, and then before she knew it Belle and Arthur were out the door and Bae was walking into the therapist's office himself.

"We need to talk outside," Belle whispered to Arthur as soon as the door shut behind her son.

He nodded grimly, obviously expecting her to want to yell at him for what had just happened. Half of her wanted to, actually. How could he just flat out _not_ tell her he thought she might be asexual?

"I'm sorry," he said as soon as the office door shut behind them and they were standing in the parking lot. "I thought you knew."

"I'm not mad at you," she replied. "I mean, I was. But I'm not now."

"Oh," he said. "Then what did you want to talk about?"

"Were you honestly just going to never have sex with me?"

"I hadn't quite decided yet," he replied with a little shrug. "I figured I'd wait and see if I was right or not first."

"So you were just planning to what, exactly?" she asked. "Never have sex ever again just to be with me?"

"If that's what it took," he said, reaching a hand up to gently brush her hair back off her face. "I'd rather have you and no sex than sex and no you, and quite frankly the other option seems to be no sex _and_ no you."

That stupid man. That sweet, stupid man.

"What did I tell you the other night?" she asked. "I need to know what I said when I was drunk."

"You said Ruby thought you'd been alone too long so you needed a vibrator to let you be able to date," he said as clinically as possible, as though he were trying to separate himself from the words. "But that you thought she was wrong because you hadn't missed having sex at all and didn't like it that much."

"That's true," she admitted. "Or at least it has been. I don't miss having sex, but that doesn't mean I don't want to do it with _you_."

His face brightened considerably at that, and she felt someplace between practiced seductress and virginal maiden (though perhaps a bit closer to the latter than she was comfortable with) as she managed to smile at him.

"You heard the doctor," she said in what she hoped was an alluring fashion as she pulled him in for a kiss by his tie. "Emotional involvement, remember?"

"Right," he agreed huskily, leaning in to kiss her lips gently. "Emotional involvement. I'll be as involved as you need."

"You already are," she replied, craning upwards to kiss him again, only this time she wouldn't let him go so easily.


	52. Chapter 52

"So how are you doing today?" Archie asked Bae. "Are you still having nightmares?"

Bae was sitting across from the therapist on the sofa (which still felt a little warm from one of his parents being there earlier and made him feel a little bit more safe) while he fiddled with a little knitting loom. Archie had a lot of little things like this in a box in the corner and you were always allowed to pick one if you wanted something to do with your hands. There were sliding puzzles and little logic toys where you had to unhook two nails that were stuck together or get a ring off of some horseshoes and there was a Rubik's cube and hand held water games where you pushed buttons to try to shoot hooks onto sticks...things like that, like mom would buy for road trips when they'd be in the car for a really long time when he was younger. Bae liked the loom, though. It was just a little circle with a bunch of pegs that you could loop yarn around to make a tube of fabric. You had to ask for it special, because the yarn would get tangled if he left it in the box and Bae liked to see how long of a tube he could make during a session. It was a little challenge with himself, and someday maybe he'd have mom sew all the pieces together into a scarf for him.

"Sometimes," Bae replied finally. "But I can go back to sleep after them most of the time now."

"Have you talked to your parents about it?" Archie asked him gently. This has been something they'd talked about last time, that Bae needed to tell his parents if he was scared.

Bae shook his head, not wanting to admit out loud he hadn't done his assignment.

"Would you like me to let them come in so we can tell them together?"

"No," Bae said. "I'll talk to mom next time I wake up."

"Your parents both love you," Archie said as though Bae needed a reminder. "And they're both worried about you, but they can't help you unless you let them know what's wrong."

"I know," Bae replied. "I just don't like talking about it. Talking about it makes it feel more real. I just want to forget."

"Are the nightmares the same as they have been?"

"Yeah," Bae said, staring hard at the little loops of yarn he was making as he wrapped it around the first post and then the second and third and fourth on and on until the end and he was right back where he started. It was time to flip the yarn over the pegs.

"Bae?" Archie interrupted and Bae's eyes shot up to him. "I asked if you'd tried taking control of the dream like we had talked about."

"Oh," Bae tried to think about the question. "Yeah, a little. After I wake up I try to think about how to make it end happy."

"And has that been helping?"

Bae shrugged before answering.

"I can go back to sleep now."

"But it hasn't decreased the frequency of the nightmares?"

Bae wasn't really sure how to make the dreams end happily. He tried, but he couldn't ever really make it end well. In his sleep, he was with his mom and his dad someplace – it didn't matter where – and his birth mom and Killian would show up and try to take him away. No place was really safe, because in his dreams they came for him everywhere. And he was always so scared, but there was a part of him that wanted to go, too. He didn't know why, because he'd never been happy there. He'd never liked going once he was old enough to know the difference. He had always preferred his mother and the safety of their warm clean house where there was always plenty of food and never anybody that he had to be afraid of.

"No," Bae admitted finally as he began flipping the little loops over the pegs one after the other to make a whole new row of fabric. "I still have them most nights."

"Do you miss your birth mom?" Archie asked him as Bae kept wrapping loops of yarn around the pegs.

"I didn't know her," Bae said. "You can't miss someone if you don't know them, can you?"

"You can miss getting to know them," Archie replied. "And you can be sad you didn't get that opportunity."

"I wasn't ever happy with her," Bae said softly, trying to keep from crying. "She wasn't really my mom."

"Bae, you do know that you're not a bad person, right?" Archie said out of nowhere. "I've known you a long time and I've known a lot of bad people. You're not bad, Bae."

Bae shrugged, feeling a little bit like he was being stretched too thin. He put his yarn down. He couldn't see the pegs right now anyway.

"It's okay to wish your birth mom had been different," Archie explained. "And it's okay to be sad that she wasn't what you wanted from her."

"She wanted me back," Bae said after a little while. "I always used to wonder why she didn't want me, and then she wanted me."

"Did you want to know her?"

"I don't know," Bae admitted. "I never liked to be with her when I was younger."

"Yeah?"

"I didn't like her house," Bae replied. "Mom's house was a lot nicer. And Mom was nicer, too."

"That's an okay thing to think," Archie said as he wrote something down on his notepad. "You love your mother, and it's alright for you to still love your birth mom even if she hurt you."

"She hurt my mom and dad," Bae said finally – it was the thing he'd never put into words because the words were too big and the reason he was halfway afraid his parents would hate him for still feeling sad sometimes. "She tried to take me away."

"She did," Archie replied evenly. "But your parents are grown-ups and they both know you have a different relationship with her than they did."

"She lied to Dad," Bae said. "She lied to him and she hit my mom."

Bae didn't know why he was arguing with Archie. It was like a part of him wanted Archie to hate him because he deserved it. His parents loved him and it was like he didn't think they were good enough or something.

"She did," Archie replied. "But she also gave your mom the best gift in the world when she gave you away."

Bae shrugged sadly and picked his loom back up. For some reason the yarn and pegs made him feel better, like he could control this so maybe he could control other things.

"I want you to try something for me, Bae," Archie said. "Next time you're worried about your mom being upset with you, I want you to ask her for her happiest memories, okay? Think you can do that?"

"Yeah," Bae replied. "I can do that."

"Then I want you to really listen to her and I want to see how many of those memories involve you, okay?"

Bae nodded and then started flipping the yarn over the little pegs.

"I'd also like you to try telling your parents about your nightmares again," Archie continued. "Do you think you'd be more comfortable talking to your dad about it? You guys went to your birth mom's funeral together, right?"

"I don't know," Bae said. "Maybe."

"I think you should ask him about her," Archie said after awhile. "Even if it's not to tell him about the nightmares yet. Your dad loved your birth mom a lot, and he might be hurting, too. Maybe he'd like to talk about it."

"Okay," Bae replied. "I'll try."

It was almost midnight when Bae woke up from the nightmare. It was the same as it always was, his mom getting hurt and him wanting to help her but he couldn't move. Then Killian had him and he was being pulled away from his parents and then he was awake in his bed and it was dark but he knew he was safe because this pillow smelled like his and the sound of the old water heater that mom kept saying she should have replaced sounded like being at home.

He burrowed into his pillow and started thinking about pulling his arm free and running back to his parents, back to where he was safe and loved just like Archie had told him to do. He could imagine darting and weaving and running through streets. He was so fast, the fastest boy in his grade and he'd be able to get away if he wanted to.

But he didn't want to sleep yet, he'd promised Archie he'd try to talk to his parents about it and Mom was still here. He flipped his blankets back and shivered a little as the warmth of the covers left him. He made his way down the hall to his mom's room quietly and knocked on her door. She didn't answer right away, so he knocked louder. There was a sleepy sounding voice and he cracked the door.

"Mom?" he whispered into the blackness.

"Yeah, sweetie?" she said, and he heard the sound of a lamp clicking on so he opened the door a little more. "Are you okay?"

"I had a bad dream," he said before he could lose his nerve.

"Oh," she sat up in bed, squinting from the light. "Do you wanna come in?"

He nodded, even though he knew he was getting too old for this. He was eleven, he shouldn't need to share a bed with his mom just because he was scared but he still felt so much safer in there, like she could fix anything if he just trusted her enough.

"C'mere," she said when he didn't come over right away, and she flipped the blankets back invitingly.

Bae couldn't help but come in and let her pull her into the warm cocoon of blankets and love and let her wrap an arm around him and hold him against her shoulder.

"Do you wanna talk about your dream?" she asked him, brushing some of his hair off of his face and kissing the top of his head a little.

"No," he replied, hating that he wasn't brave enough to risk losing her, too.

"That's okay," she said, squeezing him a little. "You can stay here as long as you need."

She didn't say it was just a dream. She used to, but she'd stopped this last year when they'd had to move in with Dad and he'd started spending every night in her room. They both knew it wasn't just a dream then.

"Can I ask you a question?" he said, because if he couldn't do the big thing Archie had asked for maybe he could do the other one.

"Anything," she replied.

"What's your happiest memory?"

She made a little humming noise that she always made when she was thinking and just this little bit of familiarity was enough to have him relaxing a little.

"Did I ever tell you about the very first day I met you?"

He nodded and she smiled at him.

"You were three months old," she began the familiar story. "And your Aunt Ruby called me in a panic because she had a baby she didn't have a place for and she just needed somewhere for you to spend the night. I couldn't say no to her, because I didn't like the idea of you having to be all alone in a police station all night so I said okay and next thing I knew there you were. You cried all night, and then I started crying because I just had no idea what to do and it was awful. I couldn't believe someone so small could make so much noise. Finally at around three in the morning you just...stopped. I was worried something had happened to you because I had no idea about babies, so I was so scared and you were in my arms and you just smiled at me. And it was the biggest cheesiest grin I've ever seen and right then I knew that I loved you more than I was ever going to love anyone ever again even if I'd only known you for a few hours. That's my very best memory."

He knew the story by heart, but he never got sick of hearing it. The idea of being loved that much when nobody else had wanted him had always made him happy. When he was littler and couldn't figure out why his birth mom hadn't loved him, he'd always known that his mom had. He clung to that feeling as he felt himself start to get tired again.

"What's your second best memory?" he asked her sleepily.

"Well," she began. "When you were about seven or eight months old you called me 'mama.' I hadn't been trying to get you to say it, because I wasn't sure I'd get to keep you yet, but you had other ideas. You were such a loud baby, too. Always chattering away to everyone and I was so nervous because you weren't making any real words yet and all the books said you should start putting sounds together into words around six months old and you were still on gibberish. I was convinced I'd done something wrong and you were broken. You don't even know how many things I tried to get you to say any words at all, and then one day you looked at me and went 'mama' and I was so relieved I almost didn't realize what you'd said. But that's the day I think it really hit me that I was going to be your mother for a long, long time. It was just this total sense of relief because I felt like you'd decided where you wanted to be. Of course, after that the problem was getting you to shut up..."

She kept talking, narrating his baby milestones and how happy she'd been when he took his first steps and the day he started preschool and how proud she was of him. He let her talking lull him into sleep, and his last conscious memory that night was the feel of his mother kissing the top of his head again right before she flipped off the light.


	53. Chapter 53

theladyofthedarkcastle said: *ahem* okay. For real prompt time: Adoption!verse: Belle catches wind that Bae wants to invite his dad for Christmas dinner, or holiday dinner, and/or Belle catches wind Arthur was going to be alone and invites him. Bae goes to bed and MISTLETOE. If that's not too cheesy. heh. Maybe not a full blown hooking uppppp.. idk how smutty you wish to get, but yeah like kiss leading to hook up. If that's prompty enough, and not all over the place like my brain currently. ha. You rock.

* * *

Christmas with a child was a vastly different experience for Arthur than any of his previous holidays had been. Shopping had been an absolute nightmare, but that was all behind him as he pulled into Belle's driveway early on Christmas Eve. Her house looked like a Norman Rockwell painting with snow blanketing the yard and reflecting the little multicolored lights that she had somehow strung all by herself. There were lanterns shaped like candles in all the windows and Bae had built a snowman at some point. Arthur took a moment to take in the wholesomeness of the scene before the door swung open and his son came barreling out of the house to hug him.

"Merry Christmas, Dad!" Bae chirped. "Did you remember the presents?"

Bae smelled like cinnamon and gingerbread and Arthur took a moment to breathe in the combination of warm sweetness and the crisp Maine air.

"Of course I did," he replied, ruffling his son's hair. "Are you going to help me get them inside?"

Bae nodded and waited for his father to open the trunk of his car as patiently as a ten-year-old could reasonably be expected to be on Christmas Eve. Arthur took one bag and let Bae carry the other one as they walked towards the house.

"Mom said we couldn't decorate cookies until you got here," Bae said. "But she's been baking all day."

"Have you eaten any yet?" Arthur asked his son. Bae smiled a little guilty smile and hurried ahead of his father into the house.

"Mom!" Bae called out. "Dad's here."

Belle leaned into the living room from the kitchen and took his breath away. She had her hair pulled back off her face and a Christmas patterned apron on and there were flour smudges on her face and arms. Arthur honestly wasn't sure he'd ever thought she was more beautiful.

"Hey," she said when she saw him. "I've been baking."

"I can see that," he replied. "It smells amazing."

It wasn't a lie. The entire house was rich with the same spicy scent that had followed Bae outside. She must have been at it for hours.

"Thank you," she replied. "There's gingerbread men and sugar cookies to decorate, shortbread cookies cooling on the counter, and some spiced cider on the stove. I also have the stuff to make eggnog in the fridge if you want to give me a hand."

"Are you expecting company?"

"No," she said. "Just you. But nobody ever says no to leftover Christmas cookies."

"I'll be in to help in a minute," he replied, holding up his bag of gifts. "Just let me put these under the tree."

"Take your time," she said, giving him a knowing little look that had his stomach doing flips as she retreated into the kitchen. "Bae, you ready to start icing cookies?"

Bae didn't need to be asked twice, setting his father's bag down on the sofa and darting after her into the kitchen.

Arthur took a moment just to breathe before he could focus on the tree. This Christmas could not be more different than the last one. Last year, he had spent the holiday at home alone. It had been just another day, albeit with fewer things on TV. This year, by contrast, felt like something that he'd have dreamed up in a drunken depression. He had a son – he'd always desperately wanted a child and now he had one. There was a beautiful woman in the kitchen waiting for him to come make eggnog and help decorate cookies. Everything was full of love and life and warmth and he just wanted to never leave. He'd been invited to spend the night so he could do presents first thing in the morning with Bae, but he suddenly realized he didn't think that would be long enough. He didn't want to go home after this.

By the time he joined them in the kitchen, Belle was juggling a spatula covered in white frosting and a pastry bag and somehow had managed to get some of it in her hair. Bae was watching his mother with anticipation all over his face.

"Do you need help?" Arthur asked her, trying very hard not to laugh at the scene in front of him.

"No, thank you," she replied. "It's too late for me, but you're still clean."

"Shall I get you a drink, then?"

"Please," she said eagerly, spooning more of the frosting into the bag. "The rum and everything else are in the fridge and there's a recipe on the counter."

Arthur began mixing the drinks as Belle finished scooping her frosting out and began setting Bae up with a variety of candies and sprinkles and set him to work.

"Do you think you made enough cookies?" he asked her when she went to the sink to start washing her hands.

"I don't know," she said cheekily. "I made a dozen for each of us – do you think that's excessive?"

"I'm sure it's fine," he replied, handing her a glass of eggnog which she took gratefully. "So is this a tradition for you two?"

"What? Making too many cookies for him to decorate while I drink?"

"Well, I wouldn't have put it in so many words, but yes."

"Sort of," she said. "I mean, we always do this stuff but we may have gone a little bit more overboard than usual."

"Oh?"

"Well, yeah," she said. "You're here."

There was nothing she could have said to make him love her more than that.

Christmas Eve with a family was like nothing Arthur could have expected. They had dinner and then watched movies and made popcorn. Bae sipped his cocoa and he and Belle had cider and eggnog. It was the best day Arthur ever remembered having, even as Bae was poking gifts and begging his mother to please just let him open _one_.

"The sooner you go to bed the sooner you can wake up," Belle said simply. "This is the one time of year I can use that."

"But there are so many," Bae whined. "And Dad's here!"

"Your father will be here tomorrow, too," Belle replied. "And you can open everything you want then."

It took surprisingly little prompting before she actually managed to talk Bae into going to sleep. Usually, he went off by himself and settled himself into bed, but tonight after changing into pajamas he came back downstairs. Belle got up, then, and followed her son to the stairs.

"Are you coming?" she called back to Arthur. "It's tradition."

He nodded, following her to Bae's bedroom, where she sat on the foot of her son's be and gestured for Arthur to join her.

They talked about nothing for a little while, talking about what Bae hoped he got the next morning and which cookies he was especially proud of. It was a sweet routine and Arthur was so happy to be there for it. Eventually, though, Bae was yawning and Belle got up and kissed his forehead.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," she said.

"Goodnight, Mom," Bae said with a yawn. "Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, son."

Belle waited until Arthur was in the hallway before she flipped the light off and shut the door, leaving Bae to his Christmas dreams.

"We've done that every year since he was a baby," she explained from the safety of the hallway. "It's silly, but he loves those little traditions."

"It was fun," Arthur replied. "I don't blame him for enjoying it, either."

"He's loved having you here," she said. "I have, too. It makes it a lot more special with three of us instead of just two."

There wasn't much to say to that, really. It was better for him as well – so, so much better.

Belle's eyes were fixed on a point just slightly above his head and she had a little smile on her face. He followed her line of sight to see a sprig of mistletoe dangling on the roof of the hallway above their heads.

"I didn't tell him to do that," Belle said. "I told him to help me decorate, but I didn't even know we had mistletoe. I wonder where he got it."

"Oh," Arthur replied. "Well, I'd hate to risk the bad luck..."

"Would you?"

He leaned in to kiss her, his lips pressing against hers and his arms wrapping around her waist. Belle clung to him, pressing against him and deepening the kiss. Kissing Belle was intoxicating in and of itself, but he hadn't meant to let himself get carried away. She was beautiful and he wanted to never be apart from her. It wasn't enough – it wasn't ever going to be enough.

Belle's hands were on his chest and she was pressed flush to him. He could feel every inch of her warmth through his clothes, and he wanted nothing more than to feel even more of her. It felt like she was devouring him, and his last coherent thought ended with her pressed against the wall with her fingers in his hair. Arthur slid one hand up from her waist to ghost across the rise of her breast when she pulled away and for a second he thought he'd gone too far.

"Not here," she whispered, her cheeks flushed from her own excitement. "Come on."

He followed her like a puppy as she took his hand and led him down the hall and past the bedroom he usually slept in when he visited. At the door to her bedroom his nerves found him again and he paused, but she just cupped his cheek in her hand and kissed him again. It was just barely a brushing of her lips to his, but it set him on edge in an instant.

"Are you sure?" he asked her, unable to silence the voice in his head that told him to stop.

"Emotional involvement, right?" she replied, trailing kisses to his jaw.

Something in him snapped at that and he stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. Belle smiled wickedly, walking backwards to her bed and leading him with her. There was no doubt about where this was going anymore. It was a place he'd never dreamed of her wanting to go, but now here she was pulling him down onto her bed and touching him frantically.

Arthur let his hand skim across her breast again, reveling in the softness of her. She was teasing his shirt buttons open with quick fingers and sucking gently on his neck as he touched her and suddenly it just wasn't enough anymore and he had to feel her skin. His hands were underneath her shirt before he could stop himself and instead of stopping him she was moaning and arching underneath him. God, he wanted her so badly.

"Belle," he gasped. "You're so beautiful."

If he'd ever doubted she wanted this, then the look on her face at that moment would have convinced him otherwise. She wriggled out from under him, pinning him on his back and shedding her shirt in a rush.

He traced his fingertips up and down her bare sides and let her finish unbuttoning his shirt. She slid it open carefully, skidding back a little bit to brush her fingers through his hair. She paused straddling his waist and just watched him lovingly for a few moments and Arthur knew in that moment that he wouldn't ever love another woman again as long as he lived.

Belle leaned down to to kiss him again, and this time he didn't let her go.


	54. Chapter 54

crimson-11-delight-dustafterrain said:

Ooh, yay! And since you mentioned Christmas…Gold gets Belle a present even though they'd agreed they were just going to do for Bae. Bae helped him pick it out.

endangeredslug said:

Adoption verse prompt: one of Belle's friends get her something lacy and racy for Christmas. Gold nearly pops a blood vessel when she opens it up.

* * *

Belle woke up feeling warm and sated as the events of the previous evening came flooding back to her, leaving her flushed. They had actually done it. They had really finally actually done it. And it had felt _right_, just as right as his arm wrapped around her middle pulling her close, and his body pressed against hers, and his...oh.

He was stirring now, and Belle tried valiantly to stifle a giggle as he pulled her tighter and kissed her shoulder.

"Good morning," he mumbled into her hair.

"Good morning," she replied, and knew he could hear the good humor in her voice instantly.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing," she teased. "It's just that it's been awhile since I woke up to him."

She pressed back into his erection to emphasize her point, and he gave a growling little chuckle, kissing her neck and pinning her to him with his arms.

"I knew you were awake first at that hotel!"

She covered her face with a pillow to cover her giggles as he held her tight against his body and trailed butterfly kisses across her shoulder and neck. Once she thought she couldn't possibly stand how nice it felt to be this close to him with his lips still on her, he loosened his grip just a bit and buried his face against her neck.

"What time is it?" he whispered into her hair and she craned her neck to glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand.

"It's six," she sighed, collapsing back down onto the pillow sadly. She'd really hoped it was a little earlier so they could have risked more time together.

"Oh," he replied, sounding just as dejected as she felt. "I should probably get to my room, then."

"Yeah," she said, turning around in his arms to rest her head on his chest and prolong the night just a few seconds longer. "We can probably spare a _few_ more minutes, though."

He hummed in agreement, pulling her in tighter and stroking her hair idly.

This was stupid. Every second they spent tangled up in each other's arms increased their odds of getting caught substantially. She just couldn't quite bring herself to let go yet. He was warm and he was holding her and she'd never felt this safe or this wanted in her entire life.

She wanted to tell him she loved him. The thought hit her hard and she almost blurted it out. Belle hadn't ever really been in love before, but that had to be what this was, didn't it? This overwhelming urge to not let him go?

The frantic knock on the door jolted her back to the real world. Bae was here and it was Christmas and she had to make this work. Arthur swore under his breath and Belle scrambled out of bed, throwing on a nightgown she'd left tossed on the dresser.

"Hide!" She hissed to Arthur and he ducked behind the side of the bed where he would be out of sight from the door.

A quick glance at herself told her that she was as presentable as she was likely to get.

"Good morning," she said as she opened the door.

"It's Christmas!" Bae exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Is it?" Belle replied, faking a yawn. "I guess you're right."

"I'm gonna go get Dad," Bae said cheerfully.

"No," Belle almost shrieked, grabbing her son quickly. "Why don't you go get the mugs ready for cocoa and I'll wake your dad up, okay?"

Bae seemed confused for a second, but didn't argue. He just nodded and walked off towards the stairs.

"Hurry, though!" He called back and Belle nodded as he disappeared.

"Oh my God," she muttered as she closed the door. "That was way too close."

"A bit," Arthur agreed, coming out from his hiding place and pulling on his boxers. "We really should have planned that better."

"Or at all," she said. "Okay, I'm going to go down there before he gets too suspicious. Meet us down when you're ready?"

"Of course," he replied as he pulled his shirt on and buttoned a few of the buttons.

He looked adorably debauched like that, standing in her bedroom with his shirt half done and his boxers on. She couldn't resist the urge to rush over and press a kiss against his lips.

"Don't be too long," she said with a wink as she pulled on a pair of panties and made her way into the hallway. She knocked a few times on the door of the room he should be in to complete the illusion that she'd woken him.

Ironically, it had been a good thing she'd stalled him. She couldn't think of anything worse than Bae finding out they were dating by finding his father sneaking out of her bedroom on Christmas morning.

Bae seemed to have shrugged off whatever suspicions he'd had by the time Belle got downstairs. He'd managed to line up three mugs on the counter and had gotten cocoa powder in all three before Belle managed to make it to the kitchen. He happily relinquished his job to his mother, though, once he spotted her.

"Your dad will be down in a minute," Belle said as she set a pot of milk on the stove and pulled out the cinnamon rolls that would be their post-gift breakfast. "Are you ready for presents?"

"Yeah," he answered. "There's a lot of stuff under the tree this year."

"Well, you know how your dad is," Belle replied with a wink. "Don't forget to thank him, okay?"

"I won't," Bae said as he twirled excitedly in his chair. "Did Dad get you anything?"

"I'm not sure," Belle replied. "We hadn't really discussed it."

She'd gotten him a present, of course, because she had gotten him one for his birthday and because he was her friend and now her lover. It hadn't even occurred to her to wonder if he was going to get her something, she'd just assumed he had. Even if he didn't, he'd given her plenty of things this past year. Every time that she turned around he was trying to buy something or give her something.

Bae had an excited little grin on his face as Belle set the cinnamon rolls on the pan and popped them into the oven. She set the timer on the oven and turned just in time to see Arthur enter the kitchen. Her stomach did a little flip when he smiled at her.

"Merry Christmas," he said to both of them. "Are we ready for presents?"

"Yup," Belle replied. "Just have to finish the cocoa. But I'll meet you two in there."

Bae didn't waste any time in jumping off his chair and dashing into the living room to start picking out the first thing he'd get to open. Arthur, however, came closer. He stayed with her, moving into the space around the stove as she busied herself with the mugs and the cocoa mix.

He stepped back when she went to grab the warmed milk and let his hand rest lightly on the small of her back as she mixed the drinks and handed him a mug. He was still in her space, and Bae could walk in at any moment, but she wanted him there so badly.

By the time they were in the living room, Bae had pulled a box out of the pile and had it sitting in front of him. He was ready, but then he'd been ready for Christmas for the last eleven months. Belle plopped herself down on the floor with him and Arthur sat down on the sofa near where she was sitting. It was a cozy little family morning and she intended to love every minute of it.

Bae tore into his first present like a lion on an antelope. It never ceased to amaze her how easily that kid could demolish a wrapped present. By the time he'd finished his first one, he was allowed to choose a present for one of his parents to open before he was allowed his next one. He chose a present for Arthur first, letting his dad carefully open a "World's Best Dad" mug that Bae had picked out. Belle had suspected it may bring him to tears, and it actually came damn close. Bae hugged him affectionately before returning to the floor and his gifts. Belle gave him an affectionate pat on the thigh before Bae opened a LEGO kit that she really, really hoped would keep him distracted long enough for her to have some more time with Arthur over the holiday.

Belle's first present came from Ruby, and as she untied the ribbons around the package she couldn't help the little bit of nervousness at what could Ruby possibly have bought that would fit in a clothes box. Her fear was well founded when she lifted the lid and caught sight of red lace and ribbons. Belle slammed the box shut as soon as she realized what she was looking at, drawing a curious look from Bae.

"It's a nightgown," she said to her son as calmly as she could. "Your turn! Why don't you open the big one over there?"

The 'big one' in question was a Nerf gun that she knew would distract him for at least a few minutes, anyway. A quick glance behind her at Arthur and the knowing smirk on his face told her that he'd definitely seen the neglige in question when she'd opened the box. Well, at least that ship had already sailed or it could have been really, really awkward.

The rest of the morning went much the same way (aside from the brief period in when she had to excuse herself to get the cinnamon buns) until all the presents were accounted for. Bae had a wide variety of toys and a sugar rush, and Arthur had also received a set of tumblers with some whiskey stones and new cufflinks that she'd spent hours looking for. She'd gotten a beautiful gold and opal necklace (which she couldn't help notice matched her ring spectacularly well), an ereader, and a fuzzy bathrobe that was from her son.

Bae was happily tearing open packages and sorting things into piles she couldn't even begin to comprehend. Arthur had, predictably, gone a little bit overboard. She would have to talk to him about it next year, but there was a part of her that kind of loved that he was so excited to spoil both of them. She was going to have to make him stop someday, but not necessarily today.

"Can you help me in the kitchen?" she asked Arthur while Bae started opening little bags of plastic bricks so he could assemble some sort of _Avengers_ playset his dad had caught him.

Arthur nodded, setting his things on an end table and following her into the other room.

She pounced on him almost as soon as he was out of sight of the living room, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a quick kiss.

"Thank you for the necklace," she whispered softly. "And the ereader."

"You spend too much time reading things on your phone," he replied, hugging her until she squirmed out of his arms and started moving round the kitchen.

"There was something else," he continued, reaching into the pocket of his pajamas and pulling out an envelope he handed to her. "I didn't want to give it to you in front of Bae, in case you didn't like it."

She was torn between nervous and curious as she broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper. It was four boarding passes for a trip to New York and a confirmation for another hotel suite and two tickets to see _Beauty &amp; the Beast_ on Broadway. Belle didn't even want to look at the totals on each of the receipts, but she didn't have to in order to know that he'd just spent a lot of money to take them all back to the city again.

"So Bae can bring a friend," Arthur said with a little shrug. "And we can have a night out."

Belle couldn't contain the little shriek of happiness that escaped her and she practically knocked him over launching herself into his arms for a hug. The noise attracted Bae's attention and he came running into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Bae asked as he took in the situation.

"Your dad got us another present," Belle replied as she pulled out of the hug. "We're going back to New York for New Years and you get to bring a friend this time."

"For real?" Bae exclaimed, looking between his mother and father excitedly. "We're really going back?"

"We are," Arthur said with the smug little smirk of a father who felt he'd done a good job. "Who do you want to bring?"

"That's so cool!" Bae replied. "I'll have to figure out who to call first."

Arthur got another hug from Bae this time before the boy dashed out and Belle heard him stomping around upstairs (presumably going off to try to call one of his friends).

"I can't believe you did this," Belle said once Bae was out of the room. "This is absolutely amazing!"

"You really like it?" Arthur asked almost nervously. "I wasn't sure if it was too much."

"It's way too much," she replied as she fell back into his arms and tucked her head under his chin. "But it's amazing. I can't wait."

"I've been wanting to do that since we got back from the last time," he admitted, stroking her arms gently. "You had way too much fun at that museum for me not to want to take you back."

"It's perfect," she said. "It's perfect and I love it and Bae is going to have a great time with a friend there. And we'll have at least one night all to ourselves."

Maybe he'd always go a little overboard, but Belle was sure that this was the happiest she'd ever been or could ever want to be.


	55. Chapter 55

anonymousnerdgirl said I'm only a couple sentences into the new chapter of the Adoption!verse, but the words "broadway" and "Beauty and the Beast" jumped out at me. I'm prompting a trip to NYC for Belle and Gold for the purpose of seeing BatB. Maybe for Belle's birthday, perhaps they could consummate their relationship at the hotel after Bae goes to bed.

* * *

New York in winter was even better than Belle could have imagined. After much deliberation, Bae had invited August along on their trip (the playground spat having been either forgotten or forgiven by both boys) much to the dismay of Emma, who still couldn't quite understand why parental feet had been put down about her and Bae sharing a hotel room. Belle hated that she had to put those limitations on the kids but they had to have a line in the sand about this and 'sharing a hotel room' seemed like a good place for one.

The boys were hard to keep track of sometimes, but Bae seemed to be having a lot more fun when he wasn't the only child there and that in and of itself was worth it for Belle. The boys were excitedly looking into every shop window they found and begging to go inside. When they got to the candy store in Times Square, though, the boys were free to go crazy. Usually Belle would have put some limit on how much candy they were allowed to get, but this was a special trip and they were stocking up on things to keep the boys amused that night while Belle and Arthur were at the play. She was willing to be very, very indulgent today.

They were staying at the same hotel as last time, but this time Belle was incredibly pleased to see that the reservation hadn't been lost. While she and Arthur had managed to make out on the sofa a few times since Christmas, there hadn't been any other dates or sleepovers since. Granted, it had been less than a week but still. She was sick of taking things slow.

August was predictably impressed with the hotel room, and Belle felt whatever lingering resentment she might harbor towards the boy for making Bae so upset back in October evaporating at the sight of the two of them bounding from window to window trying to pick out if they could see the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty from the hotel (they could not).

"Are we really going to see the big ball drop tomorrow?" August asked Belle after a few more minutes of faces pressed against windows.

"Yep," she replied. "We are really going to Times Square for New Years and we are really going to see the ball drop."

Belle hadn't ever gone to Times Square for New Years herself, and she wouldn't have dared to bring multiple children on a trip like this without help. It was also going to be the first year she might be able to kiss someone since she'd gotten Bae. Or at least, she'd kiss him if she could manage to be behind the boys when the ball dropped. She had her fingers crossed for that, at least.

Their first day in the city was nothing but sightseeing, since August had never been outside of Maine before and they had been so very rushed during their last trip that they hadn't had time to do much more than look at the Statue of Liberty before moving on to the next activity. Bae had been particularly disappointed at not getting to go up inside the statue, so they decided to make a full day out of doing Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

By the time they finally got back to the hotel, Belle was a quivering ball of anticipation for the play that night. The boys would dine on pizza and play video games with a babysitter, but she and Arthur had another date night planned. Except they weren't calling it a date. As far as Bae was concerned, this was another one of their adult dinners to become friends and that was the story Belle fully intended to stick to.

That, of course, didn't mean that she wasn't going to dress up as nice as possible again. She'd settled on wearing her black dress again, because it was a nice dress and apparently made her breasts look amazing and she fully intended to make use of that fact. Last thing before she emerged from her bedroom she put on the necklace Arthur had given her for Christmas. If she didn't know any better, she'd almost have thought she belonged in Manhattan.

The boys were bouncing around excitedly from a nest of pillows piled in front of the television when she finally came out of her room. Arthur was standing by the open door talking to a girl who was presumably the babysitter, but as soon as he saw Belle he froze and stared for a moment and it didn't take long before both Bae and August noticed and looked at her as well. Bae seemed a little uncomfortable but August was staring almost as intently at her as Arthur was.

Belle wrapped her coat around herself, hoping she hadn't gone too far overboard for this night. The last thing she wanted was to make her son feel awkward about anything, and especially about her spending time with his father.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked Arthur as calmly as she possibly could.

"I was just waiting for you," he replied. "This is Sarah, she'll be staying with the boys tonight."

Belle greeted the girl and they went over a quick rundown of the rules before they could leave. A quick goodbye to the boys (including a kiss to the top of Bae's head that he found absolutely mortifying) and Belle and Arthur were on their way to a restaurant. She'd let him choose because she honestly didn't have the point of reference to know where she wanted to go and trusted him to know her taste.

They had made reservations at a very nice restaurant before the show and when the maitre d' took her coat she saw Arthur watching her again. His eyes shot up to hers as soon as he realized that his eyes had been wandering.

"You look lovely," he said with an earnest smile on his face. "Really, beautiful."

"Thank you," she replied. "You look pretty good yourself."

Belle had never been to a musical put on by professional actors in her life. She'd done some musicals in high school, but it had been well over a decade since then and there hadn't ever been enough money to spare to go someplace that had actual actors much less spend the money to go to a musical just to go. She'd always intended to take Bae to at least one play before he finished school, but she was waiting until he was a little older before she'd invest in it.

The play was beautiful, but then of course she'd never doubted that it would be. She was halfway convinced Arthur had chosen this one specifically because she shared a name with the main character, but she wasn't about to let that get in the way of her enjoying her evening. She'd loved the movie as a girl from the moment she knew that she would share her name with the princess, and the fact that she shared some personality traits with the princess had only helped the excitement. Granted, it had gotten a little awkward in middle school when people kept asking after Lumiere and Cogsworth, but in general she'd always enjoyed the name.

"I had a great time tonight," she said to him once they were safely inside the cab on the way back to the hotel. "Thank you for a lovely evening."

"It's no matter," he replied. "I'm glad to be with you."

She leaned forward and kissed him on his lips quickly, enjoying that she was allowed to do these little affectionate gestures at least when they were alone. She stopped him in the hallway outside the door to the hotel room with a hand on his arm. She wasn't sure if the boys were awake or not, or how the rest of the night would go and she didn't plan on wasting this chance.

Belle pressed her chest to his and kissed his lips quickly. Arthur caught her around the waist before she could pull away and kissed her again harder. She combed her fingers through his hair. She wasn't sure she'd ever get sick of being kissed like this, especially having waited so long to be kissed like that to begin with.

The boys were still awake when they entered the suite, but just barely - propped up on pillows watching a movie as the babysitter lounged on the sofa behind them drowsily.

"We're back," Belle said, rousing Bae and August enough at least to look over at them. "Did you guys have a good time?"

"Yeah," Bae mumbled as Sarah got to her feet.

Arthur and Sarah settled up while Belle picked her way through the carnage of the living room to turn off the TV.

"Bedtime, boys," she said, reaching out to help Bae to his feet. "Come on, we have another big day tomorrow."

"Yes Ms. French," August said a little bit too solicitously.

Bae shot his friend a dirty look that had Belle stifling a laugh. This was going to have to be dealt with at some point, but this definitely seemed like the sort of thing that she would have to ask Arthur about dealing with. Little boys had their own sort of society that she wasn't sure she'd ever entirely understand.

She gave Arthur a little apologetic look, and he just shrugged as everyone retired to their assorted bedrooms. Taking off the black dress and standing in front of the mirror in her bedroom was almost anticlimactic. She'd not bought a new dress, but she'd taken the time to shop for lingerie this time in the hopes of someone else getting to see it. She'd bought a black lace bustier and matching panties and she would be damned if nobody else got to see them.

Belle grabbed her robe off of the bed and wrapped it around herself before popping open the door and glancing out into the main room to make sure the boys were in their bedroom before she emerged. It was eerily quiet and the walk to Arthur's door felt like an eternity, but she made it undetected and, holding her breath, turned the knob and let herself in.

Arthur was perched on the edge of his bed with his shoes on the floor and one of his socks in his hand and the other still on his foot. He froze as she came through the door and shut it behind her.

"Hey," she said, mentally cursing herself for not actually bothering to prepare for this beyond getting scantily clad and throwing on a robe. It wasn't exactly an opening line to take his breath away or anything.

"Hey," he replied and at least his eyes were filled with awe at the sight of her.

"I didn't want to sleep yet," she said, untying the belt of her robe with nervous fingers and letting it fall open.

"Uh," he seemed to be struggling to get words out now. "I don't want to, either."

This was insane and she knew it was insane even as she crossed the room to stand in front of him letting the robe fall as she went. They had just started dating and only slept together once and now she was feeling an insatiable need to be closer to him. Bae and August were both in this hotel room, and they'd already almost been caught on Christmas morning. She was pushing her luck but she couldn't help herself because she didn't know when her next chance would even be.

Belle couldn't stop herself, and she didn't want to. He was addictive and she wasn't going to fight against it, she was going to kiss him and climb into his lap and let him take his time unwrapping her. And then she would let him hold her and curl herself into him until she had to return to her room and go back to pretending that nothing had changed and that they were still just friends who shared a son.


	56. Chapter 56

New York was a lot different in winter than it was in summer. Last time Bae had been in the city with his parents it had been really hot and there had been people everywhere. There were a lot of people this time, too, but somehow it felt different with snow all over the ground. Plus August had come, too, so now he had someone to talk to about stuff at the museum. He wasn't sure why Mom liked museums so much, but she did and his dad liked to take her to them so they went. She was completely absorbed in paintings and sculptures, and it wouldn't have been so bad except Dad was completely focused on her.

What was really surprising wasn't that Bae was bored in the museum, it was that August wasn't. He was talking to Bae, but occasionally he'd ask Bae's mom a question and wait for an answer. It was kind of weird and Bae wasn't really sure what that was all about, but by the time they finally went to lunch Bae had to ask.

"Dude," he said as they waited for Bae's parents to come back with their food. "What are you doing?"

"What?" August replied. "What'd I do?"

"Why were you asking so many questions about the paintings?"

"I dunno," August said. "They were nice."

August wasn't looking at Bae anymore and Bae wasn't really sure what to think about that.

"You're acting weird," Bae said.

"No I'm not," August replied. "You're weird."

"Your face is weird," Bae shot back with a grin.

"Is your mom dating anyone?" August asked, still not looking at Bae.

"Why?"

"No reason," August replied. "Just curious."

"Dude, do you like my mom?"

"Shut up, no!"

"Oh my God you do!"

Bae really didn't know how to handle that. He looked over to where his mom and dad were coming back towards them with plates and cups and smiling at each other.

"That's my _mom_," Bae exclaimed. He wasn't sure what to think about August liking his mom at all. He knew that obviously she didn't like August that way or anything, but still. Friends weren't supposed to like your mom.

"Shut up," August hissed as Bae's parents got closer.

Bae couldn't stop looking at August even as his parents put the food on the table and sat down.

"What were you guys talking about?" Mom asked.

"Nothing," Bae said instantly, and August nodded in agreement.

"Nothing seemed pretty interesting," she teased and Bae didn't really know what to say to her. He didn't want to let her know, mostly because he didn't want to think about it too much.

"It was nothing," Bae said and he knew he sounded angrier than he meant to but he just didn't like having the thought in his head.

Mom looked between them and narrowed her eyes a little and Bae knew she was mad, but he just hoped she'd let it go. She made a little humming noise in the back of her throat.

"I'm not going to make you tell me," she said after a little bit. "But you need to apologize for snapping at me."

Bae sighed. She was right, but he was still annoyed and the last thing he wanted to do was apologize. God, why did _his_ mom have to be the one guys liked? This wasn't the first time this had happened and he _hated _it.

He finally mumbled an apology, hoping she'd drop it. Oh please, let her drop it.

Bae glanced up and saw her and his dad looking at each other with a weird look on their faces. He knew that look. His friends' parents who lived together would look at each other like that when they were trying not to argue in front of the kids. Bae hadn't ever seen his mom and dad look at each other like that, and he wasn't sure what that meant but something was pinging in the back of his head but he didn't want to think too hard about what it meant yet.

Finally, his dad shrugged and his mom smiled at both boys and everyone started eating and that was it. Still, though, Bae couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was missing something.

The superstition was that whatever you do on New Years Day is what you'll be doing the rest of the year. Arthur hoped to God that was true, because he couldn't think of anything he'd rather be doing for the rest of his year - or the rest of his life - than standing next to Belle as the boys looked through the souvenir kiosks that littered Times Square. Belle had her hand through his arm and Bae had on a pair of those ridiculous novelty New Years glasses and a silly hat and the happiest Arthur ever remembered being in his life.

He'd woken up this morning with the scent of Belle still on his pillows. She'd spent half the night in the room with him and when she'd left it had been all he could do to let her go. He hadn't expected her to come to his room, but having her there had been the answer to a prayer he'd never dared to say.

"I think August has a crush on me," Belle whispered into his ear as the boys looked through slightly irregular t-shirts.

Arthur glanced over to the boys where they were chatting animatedly and casting the occasional glance towards the adults. Sure enough, August's glances were lingering on Belle and Arthur had a hard time containing his smug grin. He couldn't put an arm around Belle or let anyone really know that they were together, but at least he still knew she was with him. Honestly, he wasn't entirely surprised at this latest development. Belle was beautiful, and sweet - exactly the kind of mom who tended to end up with all the boys at her house after school. He could definitely imagine that he'd have been right there with the other boys in trying to finagle invitations to stay for dinner if any of the neighborhood children had a mother who looked like Belle when he was a boy.

"I can't say I blame him,"Arthur whispered back as soon as the boys had turned back.

She blushed prettily at his flirting. He loved that he could say these things and know that she wouldn't run screaming from him. The only thing that would make it better would be if they could tell everyone about it.

"Excuse me!" a perky blonde with a microphone called to them, rushing over with a cameraman behind her. "I'm Maggie Swift with channel 10 news. Can we get a shot of you for our midnight broadcast?"

"Oh," Belle said, looking to him quickly. "Um, sure."

"Great!" the reporter said as the cameraman pointed the camera toward them and started filming. "We just need a kiss for midnight."

Well he hadn't anticipated _that_ and he wasn't sure why. It was New Years. What the hell else would they be filming?

Bae and August came trotting over as soon as they noticed the camera, because that couldn't make things weirder.

"What's up, mom?" Bae asked.

"Oh this is perfect," the reporter said. "The boys can be in the shot, too. It'll be great."

"They want your dad and I to kiss on the camera," Belle said, but the boys were already too enamored with the prospect of being on television to even listen to her, hopping up and down and waving enthusiastically at the camera.

Arthur looked at Belle who turned to him and shrugged. He'd never kissed her in front of anyone else before, and now he was about to do it in front of the entire city of New York. He didn't think he'd have had the nerve to do it even as a joke, though, if she hadn't flashed him that little smile and fallen into him with a grin.

He didn't even realize the boys had noticed the kissing until he registered the fake vomit noises coming from them. Belle pulled away with a giggle and a quick wave to the camera.

"That's great," the reporter said cheerfully. "Thanks so much!"

She quickly gestured to the camera man and dashed off towards another group before Arthur had time to register she was gone. He wasn't entirely sure if this still counted as keeping things secret from Bae or not, but Belle seemed to shake it off easily.

"So that was fun," she said to the boys. "I've never been on the news before."

Bae and August seemed to be willfully ignoring the adults, instead focusing on their own brush with fame. August in particular was excited for his dad to see him. Arthur was mostly worried about Bae's reaction to his parents' kissing, but the boy didn't seem particularly inclined to focus on it. Arthur wasn't sure if he should be worried or relieved about that, but there wasn't too much time to focus on it, though. This was all such uncharted territory still for everyone, and he just didn't want to push anything too far too fast. Maybe this wasn't all bad. It could ease him into the idea before they broke the news.

But the ball would be dropping soon and it was time to go find a good place to stand and hear the music. Belle held his hand while the boys were excitedly watching the pop starlet he didn't recognize.

This year, he promised himself, he'd never let them go. Looking between Belle and Bae he was struck with how much he loved both these people. This was going to be the best year of his life.


	57. Chapter 57

I'd just like to remind everyone this 'verse IS open for prompts and also let you all know that there's a prompt this is based on but I don't want to spoil the surprise. You can all thank AnonymousNerdGirl on Tumblr, though.

* * *

Being at home wasn't nearly as nice as being on vacation. For one thing, the sleepovers had ceased. Belle was lucky when she could sneak a kiss in the evening anymore. She was pretty sure that Bae had begun to suspect something was going on, and he was lurking constantly. They were going to have to tell him what was going on sooner rather than later, but it was still so early in their relationship to bring it fully out in the open.

Still, though, Arthur had been over for dinner almost every night since and in a lot of ways that was good enough. It was a pleasant routine, and when he broke it she felt his absence. It wasn't necessarily weird - he didn't _always_ have to come to dinner, after all - but it was a definite absence. She missed seeing him more than she thought she would. When he missed a second day, she was starting to get worried.

Before she could second-guess herself, she picked up her phone and sent him a quick text.

_Dinner tonight?_

She set the phone down, trying to ignore how long it was taking him to respond, and how unusual that was for a man who had never made her wait more than a few minutes for a reply to a text since she'd known him.

Screw it. Her boyfriend was acting weird, but beyond that her son hadn't seen his father in days. She had to know what was going on with her family whether Arthur wanted to let her in or not.

Bae was in school, at least, for a little while longer so she didn't have to explain where she was going to any curious fifth graders. Not that she needed an excuse. This was definitely just normal concern for her son's father and not her freaking out that he'd changed his mind about them and didn't know how to tell her.

He didn't answer his door when she rang the bell, and she knocked over and over again with no answer. Maybe it was nosy to peek through the windows, but the lamp on the end table next to the sofa was knocked over and that had her scrambling in her purse for the key he'd given her. She wanted to respect his privacy, but his privacy was seriously infringing on her mental health and if he was okay she was going to kill him.

The house was eerily quiet, though she was only used to being in it with Bae around. The place was trashed. Somebody had gone through and torn the place apart. Little statues that had decorated various flat surfaces were knocked to the floor. She picked her way through the downstairs, as quick as she could - her phone held at the ready in case she found something. The downstairs was empty, and she made her way upstairs as fast as she could.

There were a million possibilities for what had happened scrolling through her head, each one more disturbing than the last. She just had to find him and reassure herself that everything was okay. She'd just found him, she couldn't lose him already.

Bae's room had been spared the destruction, as had hers, but his bedroom was also destroyed. The only room left upstairs was the office, and Belle almost collapsed with relief when she found him sitting on the floor by the desk with a bottle clenched in his fist. She wasn't sure if she was going to kiss him or kill him, probably both.

He was watching her as she stood in the doorway, an inscrutable look on his face. She had so many questions she had to ask him and so many things she just had to scream until he had to listen to her and there was so much going on in her head she just couldn't say anything at all. He'd vanished for days and now here he was...just sitting on the floor surrounded by broken glass and scattered papers and she had been so scared she wasn't even sure what she was feeling anymore now that she could see he was okay.

So, of course, she was choking back tears as she went to him slowly. He didn't have any visible wounds or injuries, or any reason she could see why the hell he should be sitting there in a pile of destruction and not on the phone telling her that he was coming for freaking dinner. All she knew was that he better have one hell of a good excuse.

"What the hell, Arthur?" she finally blurted out, dropping to her knees in front of him and checking him for visible wounds. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"As good as can be expected," he said with a wry smile, gesturing towards himself with the hand not wrapped around the bottle of scotch. "I didn't think you'd come."

She felt her rage reach a boiling point in her chest at that. He didn't think she'd come? Because she'd always been so unreliable before? So uninvolved in this relationship? She'd _always_ come! Even when she'd been dating someone else she'd dropped everything for him. How dare he? How dare he insinuate she wouldn't come looking for him?

"What is _wrong_ with you?" she shrieked, slapping his chest. "Why wouldn't I come? What's going on?"

He shrugged.

"You shouldn't have come," he said. "You've got your entire life ahead of you. You and Bae."

"Arthur," she replied. "You're scaring the hell out of me."

"It's better this way," he sighed, leaning back against the desk to stare at the ceiling. "You'll both be better off now."

"You're drunk," she snapped, grabbing the bottle away from him. "Did you do all this yourself?"

He just nodded sadly, and she couldn't tell if she was angry at him or wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him until whatever this macabre mood was passed.

"What's going on?" she said firmer this time. "You've gotta tell me."

"I went to the doctor," he said with a sigh. "I thought I'd see about getting a knee replacement so I could keep up with Bae. I hadn't discussed it with him in years, and thought there might be some new tech. God, I'm such a fool, Belle."

He paused, running his fingers through his hair and she reached out to touch his cheek as comfortingly as possible.

"It's okay," she whispered. "Whatever he said, we'll get through it. It's okay."

"No," he replied. "No, it's not. I have cancer, Belle."

She felt the word _cancer_ shoot through her like a bolt of lightning, rooting her to the spot. Cancer. He had cancer. The one man she'd ever really loved had cancer.

"What kind?"

He let out a little snort.

"Breast cancer," he said bitterly. "Of all the damn things. Apparently men can get it, too. Can you believe it?"

Belle had known that, actually. She remembered it from before, from twenty years ago and a little pamphlet in the doctor's office while she waited with her father while her mother got filled full of poison to try to save her life. She'd filed that little factoid away alongside five year survivability rates in the list of things she tried not to think about when she looked at her son and thought about how when she was just a little older than him her mother had been stolen from her.

For a little while, Belle felt like she was drowning. She had always feared cancer coming for her, but it hadn't even crossed her mind to worry about it coming for Arthur. To have him in their lives only for this to happen was a nightmare Belle hadn't even thought to be afraid of. She didn't want this for Bae. She didn't want her son to be lost in the fear of loss that became such a constant companion that you almost missed it when it was gone, though not as much as you missed having your mother there when you needed her.

It just wasn't fair.

"My mother had it," she choked out at last, as though he'd asked about Colette French or even knew her name. "Are they sure?"

"Yeah," he replied. "They want me to start treatment this week."

"Good," she said, nodding stiffly. "That's good. Very good."

Treatment was good. Treatment was when they fixed things. Not that treatment had fixed her mother, but Belle couldn't linger on that right now because this time it was different. Arthur wasn't her mother, her mother had fought and he'd fight but he'd win because Belle wasn't a girl anymore and she would help him. There was money this time, and money could pay for a lot of things that her parents couldn't afford.

"Do you have a prognosis?" she said cautiously. She would not abandon him, but this was...she wasn't ready for this.

"They caught it early," Arthur said, his entire bearing changing in the wake of her reaction and she hated this weakness that made him need to comfort her. "I don't know what that means yet exactly."

"How long have you known?"

"I just got the results back today," he replied.

She wouldn't ask him how long he'd suspected, she didn't want to know. She didn't want to know any of it.

"And you destroyed the whole house?"

Arthur just shrugged in response, and in that moment she knew exactly what she would have to do.

"Come on," she said, standing up and offering him her hand. "We're going to pack you a bag and you're going to come stay with us."

He was watching her with a wary sort of hope on his face, as though there were any other options for her.

"You're Bae's father," she continued. "And I'm not letting you stay in this house by yourself."

He nodded slowly, letting her guide him to his feet and lead him into his bedroom. She went to the closet and pulled out a suitcase, dragging it to the bed and opening it up.

"Belle," he said. "You don't have to do all this."

"I'm not leaving you to stay here," she replied firmly. "At least not until we can get it cleaned up. It's full of broken glass."

"And when it's clean?"

"When it's clean," she said. "Then we'll talk. If you'd rather Bae and I stay here with you then we'll stay, or you can stay at my place. But you're not doing this alone."

She went to his dresser and opened a drawer at random and started pulling out undershirts and boxers.

"I didn't want to put you two through this," he said so softly she wasn't sure he meant for her to hear it.

"So what?" she shot back, turning to face him again. "You were just going to stop answering my phone calls and hope we didn't notice you were gone?!"

He was looking everywhere but at her and she stalked over to him angrily and pulled his face to look at her

"You're in our lives now," she said firmly. "We're going to do this together okay?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, finally leaning down to rest his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry," he replied and she wasn't sure if he meant sorry for being sick or sorry for worrying her or sorry for disappearing, but she couldn't really focus on that yet, either. Getting their family through this was going to mean putting one foot in front of the other regardless of how badly she wanted to lock herself in the closet and cry. She could cry later in the privacy of her own room, but right now she just needed to get him packed up and back home so they could prepare to tell Bae about this. She would not hide this from her son.

And if later on she ended up sobbing in the shower, that would be her own business. Her family needed her to be strong though, and she could be strong for Arthur and Bae. Her son deserved two parents for as long as he could have them.


	58. Chapter 58

Anonymous said:

I'm gonna go ahead and officially prompt for TAV, Gold dreaming or daydreaming (or however you want to do it) about being there with Belle while Bae was still a baby. Angst it. ANGST IT.

* * *

Arthur wasn't even sure what to tell Bae, and neither was Belle. Neither one wanted to hide what was going on from him, but they wanted to make sure that they knew more about his treatment and prognosis before they said too much about it, as well. Bae was willing to accept Belle's excuse that his father would be staying for a few days while he had new carpet put in (which was not entirely inaccurate) and had barely blinked at this sudden change in their living arrangement.

Belle had been right. Trying to vanish out of their lives had been too little too late. There was no sparing Bae from any of this anymore. He felt like an ass. He'd missed the first ten years of his son's life and had shown up just in time to cause the boy nothing but heartache. It was hard not to believe Bae wouldn't have been better off if he'd never even known that he'd ever had a father, because then he wouldn't have been faced with losing both of his birth parents in the same year. Of course, without Arthur's intervention Milah may very well have have succeeded in taking Bae from Belle. Perhaps it was worth his life just to ensure that they remained together.

They had somehow gotten through dinner, although Arthur couldn't remember what they discussed. He was just so busy watching his son. Ten years. He'd lost ten years of this child's life. Bae had been five miles from his house for ten years, and somehow he'd never known. He'd probably even seen the two of them around, seen them at the grocery store or the gas station. He couldn't remember it, but it was entirely likely. What would his life have been like had he realized who they were to him ten years ago?

It wasn't hard to imagine a life with Belle when Bae was a baby - the hard thing was knowing that it wouldn't ever happen. He had missed getting to see his son grow and learn. Bae hadn't taken his first towards his father, his parents hadn't playfully teased each other over whether he said _mama_ or _dada_ first. And now that their family was finally complete, Arthur wasn't sure how much longer he'd be with them.

Neither Arthur nor Belle even pretended to each other that he was going to spend the night in the guest bedroom that night. He dressed in pajamas and prepared for bed before knocking on her door. She let him in without a word and before he knew it, he was kissing her hard on the lips. He was so scared, and he just wanted to lose himself in her arms for a little while.

Belle didn't question him when they collapsed into her bed in a tangle of arms and legs and lips. She didn't seem surprised at all when he stopped kissing her once they were ensconced in her sheets, or that he just wanted to look at her and stroke her hair and forget the world for a little while longer.

They didn't make love that night, instead they lay in bed wrapped in each other's arms until neither one could keep their eyes open anymore.

Arthur wasn't sure who woke up first the next morning, but both of them were already awake when Belle's alarm clock went off to alert her that it was time to get ready for work. He was curled around her with his arms wrapped around her, the same way he'd fallen asleep the night before. Apparently neither of them had fallen into a deep enough sleep to move in the night.

"Do you want me to stay home today?" she asked him after she shut off the alarm. "I can, you know."

He did, but he didn't at the same time. He wanted to go on pretending like nothing had changed and he hadn't had this diagnosis. He wanted to wrap himself up in her and cry it out. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair.

"It's fine," he said at last. "I have a doctor's appointment today anyway. We'll be discussing my treatment options and prognosis in more depth."

He had been supposed to discuss this with the doctor when he was given the diagnosis, but had been completely incapable of focusing to the point that the doctor finally told him to come back the next day. That was probably a good sign, to be honest - that things were at a point that the doctor felt comfortable putting things off another day.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" she asked again, and he wasn't sure. He wanted her with him all the time. He wanted to not be sick. He wanted this to all be a bad dream.

"You have work," he replied. "I'll let you know what happens tonight."

"We're going to have to tell Bae tonight," she said, stretching a little bit and rolling out of his arms. "God, I had wanted to tell him about us dating soon. I don't know what to do about it now, if we should put it off or what."

"Speaking of that," he replied. "I should probably be getting back to my room before he wakes up. We can talk more about this later."

"You're right," she said, offering him her hand to help him stand. "I'll call and make an appointment for all of us with Dr. Hopper this week."

She held his hand as they walked to her bedroom door, and poked her head out into the hallway to check for their son.

"Alright," she said. "The coast is clear."

He stepped into the hallway, and Belle grabbed him again to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

"I will come with you if you want me there," she said, resting her hands on his chest. "I don't want you to go through all this by yourself. You have us now, both of us."

He couldn't help himself, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head.

"Good morning," he heard from behind him and froze.

Belle had stiffened but made absolutely no move to extract herself from his arms, not that it would have done much good as Bae walked past them towards the bathroom. The boy paused and looked over at his parents for a second.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked his parents.

"I'll make pancakes," Arthur volunteered, feeling Belle shaking a little bit with laughter as Bae nodded and walked into the bathroom.

"I guess that solves one problem," she choked out, obviously trying to speak around laughter. "That's really not how I'd planned on him finding out."

"He took it well," Arthur replied.

"He did," she agreed. "That's good to know."

"It is," he said, finally releasing her. "I guess I should probably go make breakfast."

"Probably," she replied. "Bae has about an hour before we have to leave."

He nodded and turned to walk towards the stairs, bracing himself before turning around to face her again.

"I think I would like you to come with me," he said to her. "If it won't be too much trouble."

She nodded and smiled at him sweetly before shutting the door to her bedroom.

Bae was downstairs before Belle and he hopped up onto one of the barstools at the breakfast bar while Arthur cooked. Arthur could sense his son wanting to ask about what he'd witnessed that morning. He should probably have some prepared speech for the boy, some way of reassuring Bae that his life wouldn't be changing substantially and that he was always going to be the center of the entire world. He didn't have those words, though, and didn't know how to introduce the topic.

"Are you and Mom dating?" Bae said after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Yeah," Arthur replied. "We are."

There was silence for a little while as he set a stack of pancakes onto a plate and place it in front of his son.

"Are you going to be okay with that?" Arthur asked as Bae poured syrup over his plate.

"I guess so," Bae said with a shrug. "It really doesn't make much difference, does it? You already spend a lot of time over here."

"I guess not," Arthur replied. "But we both want you to be comfortable, so if you have any problems you know you can talk to one of us, okay?"

"Alright," Bae said, taking a bite of his food. "Can I have a glass of milk?"

"Sure," he said, getting a glass down and retrieving the milk from the fridge as Belle came into the room.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully, leaning down to kiss Bae on the top of the head. "Breakfast smells good."

"It's very good," Arthur reassured her, offering her a plate. "Help yourself."

He watched both of them as they ate. He wanted to ask after her plans for the day, but Bae couldn't know they were going to the doctor yet. Arthur still wasn't sure what they were going to tell him, or when. He hated keeping secrets from his son like this, but after everything that had happened this past year with his birth mother...it was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

They would tell Bae, he promised himself. As soon as he knew the prognosis and the treatment Bae would be involved every single step of the way. He'd let his son come to treatments if he wanted to, he'd be as honest as he possibly could be. No matter what happened, he wouldn't let this sneak up on his son. He would do whatever possible to make this as easy for Bae to deal with as possible, because the thought of everything that his son had been forced to work through this year was astounding.

His family was worth fighting for, he decided. And he would fight for them every single step of the way.


	59. Chapter 59

Anonymous said:

Not sure what you have planned, re: Arthur and treatment, but I'd like to prompt Belle going with him when he talks to the doctor about that. Lots of handholding and angst, obvs.

vyeloyombrightwarrior said:

Adoption verse prompt: Bae dreams of Arthur dying before he knows about the cancer and then Belle has to comfort him knowing that Arthur has a chance of dying.

* * *

It was so strange that last week, Arthur had gone into the doctor's office alone and full of hope for repairing his knee and being able to keep up with his son better - his biggest concern had been whether or not he remembered enough of his dance classes to take Belle out and actually manage to impress her. This week, Belle was by his side and they were going to an oncologist to find out his treatment plan. He'd been supposed to go through this yesterday, but after hearing the results he just couldn't hear any more (or at least not alone).

The doctor had felt the lump when he put the stethoscope to Arthur's heart. It had been sheer dumb luck, a one in a million chance that caught it in the end.

"The good news," Dr. Stehnike began. "Is that we caught this remarkably early. The biggest issue we usually have with men who are diagnosed is that it's caught much later than it would be for a woman, and since there's less breast tissue we have less time to get it taken care of."

Belle looked a little distraught at this news and Arthur wasn't really thrilled by it himself. It was caught early but he had less time than a woman?

"What does that mean?" He asked at last.

"It means we want to start treatment as soon as possible," the oncologist replied matter-of-factly. "But it also means that I have every reason to be optimistic about your future."

"So it's curable?" Belle said from her seat. "You can cure him?"

"We don't usually talk about cancer in terms of being cured," the doctor replied. "Even with very aggressive treatment, there's always the chance it can come back. However, for this type of cancer in stage I the five year survival rate with treatment is basically one hundred percent as long as it hasn't spread to the lymph nodes."

Belle let out a little guffaw that was halfway between a laugh and a sob, and he didn't really have time to do much more than grab her hand before the doctor began speaking again.

"Now, remember," Dr. Stehnike continued. "That's just the first five years and assuming it hasn't spread to your lymph nodes. We're going to have to remove some in surgery to dissect and test, but as small as this tumor is your odds are very good in that respect."

Arthur felt a little light headed. Five years. He could do a lot in five years. That would get Bae driving and dating. Another five years and his son would be in college. Five more could let him see his son's wedding and meet his first grandchild.

"When would he go in for surgery?" Belle asked.

"I have him scheduled for the ninth," Dr. Stehnike replied, glancing at her desk calendar. "We can reschedule if necessary, but that's the soonest date the hospital had available."

He glanced over at Belle quickly at this news. The ninth was less than a week before Valentine's day and three days before her birthday. He'd been planning on taking her out properly for dinner and and a movie, and then to the boardwalk to watch the waves. He even had a gift for her already wrapped and tucked into a drawer in his desk. It had been years since he'd had the opportunity to spoil a woman and he knew it had been even longer since anyone had tried to spoil Belle. She'd gone out of her way to make sure he felt special on his birthday and he'd really been looking forward to returning the favor.

"The ninth should be fine," Arthur said at last, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. The sooner he did the surgery, the sooner he could get this thing out of him and the sooner healing could begin. "How long should I be in the hospital?"

"We'll hold you overnight because of the lymph node removal," the doctor explained. "But you'll be free to return home right after. I assume you have someone to drive you home?"

This last was said with a curious glance toward Belle, who simply nodded as she stared hard at an anatomical model on the doctor's desk. Arthur wished he could go back to before he'd known about this and make sure to savor every moment with her. He was going to have to ask her to help take care of him for at least a little bit. There would be dressings that would need to be changed and he would be on painkillers and unhelpful.

Their relationship was barely two months old, and now she would be put in the position to take care of him. He couldn't think of anything less attractive for her than him. He was too old for her, and now he would be a burden where she already had a thousand of them. He'd always wanted to be able to protect her and take care of her and he had failed even in that. Would she even want to be with him after this was all over, or would it prove too much?

He wasn't really sure what was said for the rest of the meeting. They made their appointment with the receptionist and then made their way to the car in silence.

"I'm sorry," he said to her as he held the keys in his hand. "I know it's a lot to ask of you to go through with this."

"What?" she exclaimed before turning to him with kind eyes. "You don't have anything to apologize for. You're not asking anyway, I offered to do this. It's important to me - you're important to me."

He returned her smile as earnestly as he could. As much as he didn't want to put her through all of this, he very much did not want to go through it all alone, either. There was no easy solution to this, nothing he wished he could have done instead. He could only hope that the doctor was right and his lymph nodes would come back clear.

Bae wasn't really sure how he felt about his parents. He hadn't really been surprised they were kissing in the hallway (New Year's Eve hadn't really been subtle, after all) and it didn't really _bother_ him that they were together apparently now, it was just weird was all. His mom hadn't ever really dated a whole lot and he'd never seen her kiss anyone ever. She kissed Bae on the cheek or the top of his head sometimes, but that was mom stuff. This was a lot different.

If his mom was going to date anyone, his dad was a good choice. He loved his dad and he wanted to spend more time with him. This would probably mean spending more time together if nothing else. Probably. If they got married, anyway. Were they going to get married? What was that going to mean? He'd never had two parents before last year. This was all super new and he didn't know what he even wanted. Did he want them to get married? He liked their lives as they were, but would he dislike a new one?

Maybe he'd ask Archie about it at his next session. That was the kind of thing he was pretty sure that's what he was supposed to talk about with his therapist. Honestly, he wasn't sure he even wanted to talk about it with anyone else yet anyway. He couldn't really talk to Mom and Dad about it, after all. Not until he knew how he felt about everything, at least. And he didn't want to tell anyone else about it. His friends all had two parents (or at least their parents had been together and broken up) and they wouldn't understand. Nobody would understand - Bae wasn't even sure he understood.

Dinner was weird. Nobody would look at each other or at him and he didn't know if it was because of what he saw that morning but he knew that he didn't really want to talk about it. At least not until he understood how he felt, anyway. It was just...he'd never had to share his mom before. She'd had friends and everything, but he'd always been her only family and he really kind of liked that.

They were still quiet after dinner and he'd never been more relieved to go to bed. They couldn't be that embarrassed, could they? Even he didn't think it was that big a deal. He fell asleep thinking about his parents, so maybe it wasn't weird that he dreamt of them.

He dreamt he was at his dad's house, but Dad was gone. Bae was in the upstairs hallway looking for his father and there was a door at the end of the hallway that hadn't been there before and something told Bae that if he could make it to the door everything would be okay, but no matter how fast he ran there was always more hallway and he never seemed any closer to the door. He called out for his father and his mother, but nobody ever came. Bae was all alone.

Bae woke up in a cold sweat. He must have shouted, because next thing he knew his mom was in his room and Dad was close behind her. He didn't want to think about what that meant. Had they been in bed together and he woke them, or had Dad come from his room while Mom came from hers?

"Bae, what's wrong?" Mom asked, coming to sit on the bed with him.

He wasn't sure what had bothered him so much about the dream, but he couldn't even explain it. Instead, he launched himself into his mother's arms let her hold him close and whisper shushing noises to him as he hyperventilated and tried to figure out why he was so upset.

"Was it a bad dream?" she asked him softly, petting his hair. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Bae didn't want to talk about it, but he knew he should. When he was calm enough, he sat back looked for his dad. Dad was still standing near the door, looking like he wasn't really sure what to do.

"It wasn't a big deal," Bae replied, but he was still shaking a little. "I was at Dad's and I couldn't find him. I don't know why I was so upset."

Mom looked over at Dad and Dad was watching them so sadly Bae felt bad for telling them for a little while.

"That sounds scary," Mom said at last, brushing Bae's hair back off his forehead. "I don't think I'd have liked being alone like that, either."

Bae took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He scooted back under the covers and let his mom tuck him in.

"You're never going to be alone like that," she said to him, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "We're always going to be with you."

"I know," he said. Dad looked like he might cry now so Bae didn't look at him. Instead he looked at Mom, because he lied what Mom was saying. He could trust Mom. She always had been there, after all. Mom had never left him, and Dad was here, too.

He closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep with the knowledge that they'd both always be there no matter what.


	60. Chapter 60

tinuviel-undomiel said:

Belle has a nightmare of Arthur dying. She wakes up in tears and Arthur cuddles her. Maybe she could talk about her mom too.

Belle was fairly certain it was Bae's fault. He'd been so upset at the idea of not being able to find his father when he'd woken up from that damn dream. It had only taken fifteen minutes or so to calm him enough to go to sleep, but even after they had tucked him back into bed and returned to her room Belle couldn't quite sleep. The doctor had been optimistic, but Bae's nightmare had set her on edge again.

She hadn't lied, she reminded herself. She would always be with her son, and there was every reason to believe his father would be, too.

Arthur was asleep before Belle, and she rolled to her side to watch him. It was hard to believe how much they'd gone through as a family this year, and how much more they still had to go. Had this been how her father had felt when her mother was ill? Had he lay awake at night and wondered how much to tell his daughter? It wasn't the first time she wished that she still had her dad with her. She'd wanted his advice from the day she first had Bae put in her arms, wanted someone to tell her what she was doing wrong and how to soothe the baby and teach her how to hold him. They'd gotten on fine by themselves, but she still wished that her dad could have met Bae and Arthur and given her his approval. She had missed her mother, but at least when she'd lost Colette she'd had Maurice. When she'd lost Maurice, she'd had nobody.

She wasn't really aware of falling asleep until she found herself in a dream that was more memory than dream. The church was empty, save for the casket at the front where her mother was. Belle remembered this scene from her childhood, her father had brought her here before the funeral to try to explain to her what would happen at the funeral and give her some time to grieve ahead of the well-meaning but oblivious distant family in attendance. She hadn't even known to be grateful for that foresight then, but now that she was facing those demons once again she understood what he had done in giving her a space to mourn her mother in her own way.

The walk to the coffin wasn't as long as Belle had remembered, though perhaps she was just bigger this time, or perhaps she was altering things in the dream. When she reached the front of the church, though, she didn't find her mother's body there. Instead, a single red rose lay on the white satin. Belle reached out to touch it, feeling the velvety petals under her fingers. Her mother had loved roses, planting bushes in front of their house that Belle still maintained. It was one of the few things she still had connecting her to her mother.

"She's not there anymore," a voice came from behind her, familiar and strange all at once - a voice like coming home after a long time away.

"Papa!" she exclaimed, turning to embrace her father. "I've missed you."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, but she barely felt it. It was a cold reminder that none of this was real.

"Where's mum?" she asked him at last. Dream or vision, she didn't care anymore. She wanted to see her parents and hold tightly to this last piece of childhood just that little bit longer.

"You don't need her right now," her father said patiently, sitting in one of the pews.

Belle wanted to sulk, but knew he was right. She'd clung to her father not just after the funeral, but for the years before when her mother had been ill and too tired from treatment to parent her daughter. It had almost been a relief for everyone when the end had finally come.

"I don't know how you did it," Belle blurted out all at once, feeling herself start to cry at last and slumping into the pew next to her father. "I don't know if I can go through all this again. I don't know how to do what you did."

"Nonsense," her father replied, kissing her on the forehead. "You did it all before. You know how to do it again."

"No," she sobbed. "I'm not that strong and it's so scary."

"You're stronger than you think, my girl," he said soothingly. "We do what we have to do for our children."

"But I'm all alone this time."

"You're not alone," this dream of her father replied. "You've never been alone."

"You died," Belle said through the tears. "You died and you left me and I was all alone."

"And then you had your son," he said. "And you weren't alone anymore."

"I wish you'd been there," she said. "I missed you every single day."

"But you still did it anyway."

Belle nodded, trying to get her tears under control even in the dream.

"I wish he knew you," Belle confessed. "I think you'd like him. And his father."

"I would," her father replied. "They make you happy, and that's all I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

She took a deep breath. He was right, he had always wanted her happiness. And she was happy. Even with everything, she wouldn't have changed meeting Arthur or adopting Bae, even though both things had caused her so much grief. She'd have lost out on so much joy.

"There there," her father comforted her as though he could hear her thoughts. Maybe he could - it was her dream, after all. "Better?"

"No," she confessed. "I just want for it to be next year when this is all over."

"It'll be next year soon enough," he promised. "And I'll be with you the whole way. You carry me with you."

"I love you, Papa," she said. "I didn't say it enough when you were here. I never even thought about life without you until you were gone one day. I wasn't ready."

"I love you too, Bells," he replied. "And it's time for you to wake up."

She wanted to protest that she wanted to stay with him, but no sooner had he said the words than she jolted awake so hard she almost fell off the bed. It felt as though her father had died all over again and she felt the pain of it deep in her chest. She was shaking and sobbing and Arthur's arms were around her all of a sudden - she'd halfway forgotten he was there but it was the most natural thing in the world to press her face into the crook of his neck and cry hot tears while he shushed her the same way she'd comforted Bae earlier.

"What's wrong?" he whispered into the night once her sobbing had subsided.

"I dreamed of my father," she said. "But it didn't really feel like a dream."

"Oh?"

There weren't words to explain what had happened. She hadn't been raised in any particular religion, and hadn't been in a church since they'd buried her father. She certainly didn't believe in ghosts but this had felt bizarre and otherworldly and _real_ in a way that dreams weren't supposed to. She wasn't sure how to tell all that to Arthur, though - she wasn't even sure how to explain it to herself.

"My mother died when I was a little older than Bae," Belle finally said. "She was sick for a long time, though."

"What did she die of?" he asked her in a tight voice, and she knew it hurt him to hear this parallel almost as much as it hurt her to say it.

"Cancer," Belle replied, leaving _breast cancer_ unspoken. He didn't need to hear that part yet.

"Oh."

"She didn't catch it right away," she rushed to continue. "By the time the doctor's found it there wasn't much left to do, although we tried everything anyway. Chemo, radiation…"

She didn't know of she was trying to reassure him or herself, but as she whispered those truths into the dark of the bedroom she knew it had to be different this time. This was something they could overcome as a family. It would hurt, but they would survive and they would come out stronger in the end. They had to, because she wouldn't let her family fall apart again.

The next morning came too soon for Belle, though she wasn't sure she'd even quite slept for most of it. It was Saturday, at least, and Bae would be out of school. They would be telling him about his father's cancer after breakfast, and she was not prepared for it emotionally. He had to know - Belle knew first hand that hiding it would only make things worse, after all. But it was going to be the hardest thing she'd ever done to tell him.

Arthur made breakfast again that morning. Belle felt useless with nothing to do besides watch him cook. Bae, at least, seemed better than he had the previous night. She somehow suspected this whole thing would be harder on his parents than on him, but then he had no context in which to frame the idea of a problem his parents couldn't fix if they tried.

After everyone ate in a strange sort of awkward silence, Bae tried to make his excuses and go upstairs, but Belle stopped him.

"We need to have a family meeting," she explained when he asked. "There's a lot of changes happening right now that you need to know about."

"You mean that you guys are dating?" Bae asked innocently. "Because I'm okay with that."

"No," Arthur said almost instantly before pausing for a second. "Well, yes. Your mother and I are dating. But that's…"

He looked over at Belle for support with the words, though she didn't know what to say much more than he did.

"That's not why your father is staying with us," she finished for him at last. "Your dad is...sick."

"How sick?" Bae asked them, looking between the two cautiously. She could tell he knew there was something wrong even as nobody wanted to admit that.

"I have cancer," Arthur replied. "The doctor says I'll probably be okay, but I'm going to have to have surgery to remove it and I'll be staying with you guys until it's better."

"Cancer?" Bae exclaimed, leaping to his feet and looking at his mother. "Is Dad dying?"

"No, honey," Belle said, reaching out for her son's hand only to have him jerk it away. "Your dad's going to be fine."

"It killed your mom," Bae shot back and Belle felt a pit open up in her stomach.

"Your grandma had her cancer a lot longer," Belle tried to explain. "They caught your dad's really early so it hasn't had time to spread."

"No," Bae shouted, looking back at his dad. "You can't be sick. Why did you come find me if you were just going to die?"

Bae seemed a little startled by what he'd said, and Arthur just looked completely dumbstruck by the outburst. After a second of silence, Bae turned and fled. They heard the sound of his feet pounding on the stairs and his door slamming.

The tension in the room was stifling, and Belle wasn't sure what to do to cure it. The last time her son had stormed out like this had been because he'd discovered he had a father, now he'd run from them for fear of losing him. What a difference a year could make.

"I'll go talk to him," Belle offered.

"No," Arthur said, pushing his chair away from the table. "I'll talk to him. This is something I need to do."

She nodded and watched him as he left as well. Their breakfast plates were still on the table, she'd need to clean them and then get a start on some other chores she'd been putting off. The living room needed to be vacuumed, the laundry needed to be done, there was toothpaste in the bathroom sink, and her son's father was sick and her family was in turmoil and she had absolutely no idea how to fix any of it.

Belle set her face in her hands and finally let herself cry.


	61. Chapter 61

ctdg said:

maybe it's a stupid prompt but can we see bae doing something nice to cheer his dad up ?

Anonymous said:

Are you still taking prompts for TAV? I love this story soo completely I was thinking about how Bae turns to his mother before his dad Mainly because she's been with him all his life What if Bae decided he wanted to sleep in his dad's bed and snuggle to make sure he had every moment with him because he was scared? And possibly decided he would "take care' of his dad and let him know that he didn't need a dad that had a fixed knee that Arthur was perfect? I'd love to see Bae give him extra love

Anonymous said:

TAV prompt: Bae awkwardly asking Arthur how the treatments for his cancer will affect him

* * *

Arthur wasn't proud of how long he stood in the hallway summoning his courage to knock on Bae's door. He didn't know what to say to his son except to apologize for dragging him into all this, but it was far too late now. He gathered his courage before knocking on the door. He heard his son say something and pushed the door open. Bae was laying on his stomach with his face resting in his folded arms and Arthur heard him sniffle.

"Go away," the boy said quietly. "I don't wanna talk."

He paused in the doorway for a minute torn between the urge to turn and run from his son's disapproval and the knowledge that Bae _needed_ to talk about it. He braced himself before moving further into the bedroom.

"I'll go away in a little bit," he said, sitting in the desk chair and turning to face the bed. "But I think we need to talk about today."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Bae said, still not looking at his father. "I don't really wish you hadn't found me."

"I know," Arthur replied. "It never crossed my mind that you did."

Never seriously crossed his mind, anyway. There was the voice in his head that insisted Bae would have been better off without a father who was sick, but he knew it was irrational and that he'd done a lot of good for his son as well. He couldn't regret finding Bae, even if it hurt now.

Bae nodded his head and Arthur reached out to touch his son's hair, brushing his dark curls away from his face. He felt - though couldn't see - the hair sticking to Bae's dried tears and his heart sank just a little bit more. He'd always meant to make Bae's life better, and now his son was crying because of him.

"Are you going to die?" Bae asked, turning to face him all of a sudden. "Tell me the truth."

"I don't know," Arthur said. "The doctor is very optimistic, but they won't know if it's spread out of my chest until the surgery and the surgery itself comes with a lot of risks, too."

"What kinds of risks?"

"The anesthesia, mostly," Arthur replied, wondering if he shouldn't have just lied. "Infection, but that's not as likely. If I wake up from the anesthesia, if my lymph nodes come back clear and I don't get an infection then I'll almost definitely be okay."

Bae seemed to think about this for a little bit, biting his lip like his mother did when she was deep in thought and looked pensively around the room.

"Okay," Bae said finally. "That doesn't sound so bad. And you're not lying to me?"

"I'm really not," Arthur replied. "I wouldn't lie to you."

"So then why didn't you guys tell me when you started dating?"

"That was different," Arthur said automatically, only halfway knowing how precisely it _was _different. "We didn't tell you that because we weren't sure how serious it would end up being yet. We wanted to wait until we knew how it would affect your life."

"And then I caught you?"

"Well, yes," Arthur replied, moving to sit next to his son on the bed. "But we were actually about to tell you when I got sick, we just hadn't figured out how to do it yet. It wasn't really a secret anymore, though."

"So then tell me," Bae said. "What's going on with you and Mom?"

"We both love you very much," Arthur said honestly. "And you're the most important person in the world to both of us. But I love your mother very much, too."

"And she loves you?"

Arthur's first instinct - even after everything she'd done for him - was still to deny it, or hedge and pretend. But he'd promised not to lie this time.

"She does," he said with a little nod. "And we're both pretty sure that this is going to be a forever situation."

"Are you getting married?" Bae asked.

Well, that was the million dollar question, wasn't it? They'd talked about having a future, but marriage...he certainly _wanted_ to marry Belle, but in the end it wasn't entirely up to him. She'd lived alone for a long time, after all. He knew she saw a future with him but they hadn't quite discussed the extent of that future.

"I don't know," he said at last. "I'd like to, but that's really up to your mother. Um...don't tell her I said that part, please."

"I won't," Bae replied with a big grin. He always loved being involved in adult secrets.

The two of them sat together for a few minutes, neither one particularly sure where to take the rest of this conversation.

"Do you wanna hang out today?" Bae said after a little while, not quite looking directly at his dad. "Like when we used to go to movies?"

"I'd like that," Arthur replied. "Very, very much."

Bae had talked his dad into lunch and a movie, but they had some time to kill between the two and ended up talking a walk to the playground a block away from the theater. Bae was a little old for the stupid plastic slides, but he liked the swings and Dad sat on the swing next to his while Bae swung. Dad was watching a couple kids and their mom playing on the climbing castle.

Bae didn't really know what to say or do about any of this. After his birth mom had died, Bae had just sort of taken it for granted that he didn't have to worry about losing his dad, too. Especially not so soon after meeting him.

"Does it feel weird?" Bae asked as he dragged his feet to stop his swinging.

"The cancer?" Dad replied. "Not really. It kind of feels like a little bean in my chest."

"How did they find it?"

"The doctor felt it when he was using his stethoscope," Dad said. "I got very lucky that it was in that location or else I don't know when I'd have found it."

"Can I feel it?" Bae asked, although he wasn't really sure he wanted to. He wanted it to not be real more than anything.

"Sure," Dad said, putting his fingers on his chest before taking Bae's hand and placing it over his heart. Bae pressed a little bit and he could feel the cancer there just like his dad had said.

"What kind of cancer is it?" Bae asked as he pulled his hand away. He didn't really know what kind of cancer could be in a man's chest like that.

"It's breast cancer," his father replied. "It's not very common for men to get it, but it's possible."

"Oh," Bae said, trying really hard to keep his voice even. "That's what my grandma had."

Dad seemed to take that news in for a little while, and Bae himself wasn't really sure what to say about it. Dad had the cancer that killed Grandma. Bae hadn't ever met his grandmother, she'd died when his mom was a little girl. He knew she existed because his mom existed, but he didn't really feel any real connection to her or his grandpa, and he hadn't really felt sad about that before but now he was wondering if he should feel more of something for them. Without them, he wouldn't have his mom, after all.

"The movie is going to start soon," Dad said finally. "We should get back to the theater."

"Okay," Bae replied. He was relieved they could move on to something safe now. He didn't know why he needed his dad right now, he just knew that he did.

After the movie, Dad insisted it was time to go home. Mom had been cleaning all day, and bae knew that meant she was upset. She always cleaned when she was upset. When he'd been failing his reading class before they figured out he was dyslexic she'd cleaned the entire garage one weekend.

Mom smiled to see them and kissed both of them on the cheek. Dad stayed downstairs to talk to her, but Bae had other plans. He raided the linen closet, pulling out spare sheets and pillows and bringing them into his room. He used binder clips and thumbtacks and whatever else he could come up with to build a blanket fort across his entire bedroom. He'd ask his dad to sleep there tonight. Dad could have the bed and Bae would take the floor. They could watch movies or play games or anything his dad wanted. Bae was determined to be with his dad as much as he could for right now. He trusted that Dad wasn't lying about being okay, but he didn't want to risk anything, either. He'd only just gotten to know his father and the idea of losing him was way too scary.


	62. Chapter 62

Anonymous said:

Bae is nervous around his Dad before surgery or treatment start. They start playing and his pounces on Arthur or tickles him or something, then gets upset because he's afraid he might have hurt him.

endangeredslug said:

Prompt: gold leaves clothes over her house. She wears one of his shirts to bed, the scent of him on her skin gives her yummy dreams.

* * *

It had been awhile since the last time Arthur had been to a sleepover. Off hand, he could think of maybe one other time in his life that he'd done anything that could even be compared. He'd never spent the night alone with Bae before, either. The one time they'd even shared a room, Belle had been there as well. It was a little strange thinking back to that night in the hotel all those months ago. He'd been completely terrified at the prospect of sleeping in the same bed as Belle, now he was able to spend whatever time he wanted to with her. They'd had some very adult sleepovers, in fact. What would he have said back then had he known what was coming?

He was changing into his pajamas in Belle's bedroom while she moved back and forth between the bedroom and bathroom brushing her hair and teeth and preparing for bed. He was a little bit in awe of this, more than anything else. He hadn't seen a woman perform those little ablutions before bed since before his wife had left. Cora had always preferred to get ready for bed privately in order to 'maintain the illusion' and there hadn't been anybody else in between who had lasted more than a date or two. Watching Belle, for the first time in a long time, he felt like he wasn't alone anymore.

When she came out of the bathroom she was wearing one of his shirts over her nightgown. It wasn't the same nightgown she'd worn when they had been on vacation together, it was shorter and lower cut and new. If he hadn't had plans as important as the ones he had with Bae, it would have taken an army to convince him to spend the night anywhere but with her.

"Do you know what you two have planned tonight?" she asked him as she went about putting her clothes into the hamper. "Or is he just going to surprise you?"

"It's a surprise," Arthur replied. "So far, though, he's mostly just wanted to ask about treatment and things like that."

Belle made a noncommittal little humming noise before turning to look at him.

"I'm going to call Dr. Hopper on Monday and try to get his appointment bumped up a couple days," she seemed to brace herself for the next little bit. "Would you like me to try to schedule something for you, too?"

He hadn't expected her to ask him anything like that. To be honest, he hadn't really even considered the idea of therapy at all. He'd been with Belle, certainly. Even once or twice they'd gone in together with Bae. He'd never gone alone, before - it hadn't ever really occurred to him that maybe he should. At the same time, though, every moment he spent with someone who wasn't Belle or Bae was a moment he wasn't spending with Belle or Bae. Something in him was rebelling at the very idea of that, at least while everything else was so up in the air and while both of them wanted to spend so much time with him.

"Maybe after the surgery," he finally said half-heartedly. "When we have a better idea of what's going on. Right now I'd rather focus on other things."

She seemed to accept this reason, or at least the implied reference to herself and their son, and moved to perch on the bed next to him and put her arms around his shoulders.

"Whatever you want," she said softly. "Just let me know."

He nodded, putting his hands over her arms where she held him, enjoying her warmth and closeness. If he lived a thousand years, Arthur didn't think he'd ever stop being thankful that Belle was brought into his life along with his son.

"I'm gonna miss you tonight," she whispered into his neck, cuddling into him a little bit. "I love having you here."

"I love being here," he replied. "I love you."

He felt her head tilt a little bit where it rested on his shoulder.

"I love you, too," she said, and he could hear the little smile in her voice. "I don't think we've ever said that out loud before, have we?"

"Bae asked me about it earlier," he admitted. "But otherwise no, I don't think so."

"It's about time, then," she said firmly. "Because I really, truly love you."

She had her arms wrapped tighter around him now, as though worried he might be going anywhere besides down the hall if she let him go.

"So first we had a child together," he said. "Then we met, then we kissed, then we had a custody agreement, then we fell in love, then we decided we were serious about each other, and _then_ we finally started dating, and only then do we actually admit to being in love. I'm a little worried about what's coming next since none of the rest of this was in any kind of sensical order."

She giggled a little bit and leaned back to look at him.

"Next is the happily ever after," she replied. "Just as soon as we get through this last part."

"I like the sound of that," he said softly, leaning forward to kiss her on the lips. "I should probably go join Bae, though."

"Probably," she agreed. "I'll still be here tomorrow night."

"I'd hope so," he teased. "I have to get my shirt back, after all."

"It's my shirt now," she replied gravely. "I scavenged it fair and square. You can have it back when I'm done."

"And when will you be done?"

"When it doesn't smell like you anymore," she said with a shrug. "Then you can have it back."

It felt like his heart might explode from the sheer bliss of that statement. That Belle should love him still sometimes felt like a strange little dream, and that she might want him should be by all rights impossible. The fact that she was stealing his shirt to wear to bed because she liked the smell of him for some reason was the most amazing feeling though. He knew she loved him before she said it, but this little piece of evidence somehow threatened to overwhelm him.

He kissed her again for lack of anything else to say before he stood and walked to the bedroom door. He'd promised Bae a sleepover, and he would deliver on that.

"Goodnight," he heard Belle call after him with a smile in her voice. "I love you."

Belle loved him. That thought buoyed him all the way down the hallway to Bae's bedroom. His son had arranged a pile of pillows on the floor and strung blankets up over the pile into a little fort. The TV had been moved from the top of the dresser to the floor and Bae seemed to be in the process of setting up one of his games.

"Hey Dad," Bae said as he set out the controllers. "Do you wanna play Mario Kart?"

It was going to be a very good night.

Arthur had no idea what time it was, but he knew it was late. His eyes were drooping and Bae had won the last four games in a row (and he was pretty sure that the boy had intentionally lost the one before that). Arthur's eyes were drooping, though, and he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to stay up. He must have dozed off, because suddenly he had a little boy on top of him tickling his sides.

He let out an _oof_ of surprise, more at the sudden weight on his chest than any discomfort, but all of a sudden Bae was recoiling and apologizing.

"It's okay," Arthur tried to reassure his son, having no idea what was possibly wrong. 'What's wrong?"

"Did I hurt you?" Bae asked weakly and suddenly it all made sense.

"No, of course not," Arthur responded instantly, grabbing his son into a hug. "It's alright. After the surgery I'll be sore, but not right now."

He felt his son nod against his chest and let the boy go even though the only thing he wanted was to keep hugging his son.

"Do you have any other questions about the treatment?" he asked, mentally kicking himself for not having been able to alleviate his son's worries earlier.

"I don't know," Bae replied. "Not really."

"Okay," Arthur replied. "But I'm here if you need me."

Bae nodded again, and tried unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn.

"It's probably time to sleep anyway," Arthur continued.

Bae nodded, crawling over to the end table to click off the bedside light as his father climbed into the twin bed. Arthur heard the tell-tale sounds of blankets rustling as his son settled into the little nest he'd made for himself. He was just beginning to feel his eyes start to droop when Bae's voice roused him again.

"Dad?" Bae said. "Are you still awake?"

"Yeah," Arthur replied, because if Bae needed him he would do whatever was in his power to be there. "What's up?"

"What was it like growing up in Scotland?"

Bae hadn't ever asked him about his life before, Arthur realized. Honestly, it wasn't something that he particularly liked talking about. Telling someone you were from Scotland sounded a lot more romantic than actually having grown up there, or at least than the way he had grown up. He was scrambling for something to tell his son about his childhood that wouldn't prompt more questions.

"It was very green," he said at last. "My aunts had sheep and a dog, and when I was there my job was to take them out to pasture in the morning and bring them back in the evening."

He heard Bae make a sleepy little noise, and kept going, hoping to keep this up until his son was asleep.

"I'd be so tired at the end of the day," he continued. "But in a good way. So when I'd come home in the evening, they'd send me upstairs to get cleaned up and on the very good days, they'd have made meat pies and I'd sit down to this beautiful pie with a golden crispy crust, and the smell would be mouthwatering and I'd feel so lucky to be exactly where I was."

Bae was snoring softly now, and Arthur was glad to have gotten through that. He needed Bae to know him, but there were still some things he just couldn't tell anyone. Bae had his own demons, he didn't need to be burdened with his father's.


	63. Chapter 63

Anonymous said:

Adoption Verse prompt; the night before Gold starts his chemo/surgery Bae gives him his Spiderman pillow to lay on while he's in the hospital

Anonymous said:

While Arthur is in the hospital, he needs a pair of emergency pajamas for some reason, and Belle ends up bringing back a pair with a truly obnoxious-adorable pattern. (Silly jammies being Belle's fault or Bae's fault, up to you.)

anonymousnerdgirl said:

TAV prompt: After Emma hears about Bae's dad being sick she gives Bae a dreamcatcher because it helped her when her family was going through tough times. (Unless you've used the dreamcatcher already or have plans for it.)

* * *

They'd decided to give Bae the day off school for Arthur's surgery. For his part, Arthur was relieved he'd get to see his son up until the moment he went under for anesthesia, but at the same time, he wanted everything to go ahead like there was nothing strange going on and like he wasn't about to have a portion of his body removed. They got to the hospital at an ungodly early hour and it felt like forever until he was able to be admitted and checked in for surgery.

Pre-op was terrifying. He wanted Belle and Bae with him the whole way, but when the nurses came in to prep him Bae had suddenly gotten very pale and it had been gently suggested that they should get some fresh air.

"They'll be back soon," the blonde woman said even though he hadn't asked. "If it was just your wife it'd be one thing, but kids don't really do well with this part."

Arthur didn't bother to correct her about his relationship with Belle, though he probably should have. He was distracted by the male nurse, who had been busy at a side table, and Arthur hadn't been watching him until he wheeled the table over.

"I'm John Raisor," the man said, offering his hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you."

Arthur took the other man's hand quickly.

"I always like to get to know the patients," the nurse continued. "Otherwise this next part is really awkward."

Arthur glanced down at the table and realized for the first time it contained shaving equipment. Oh God, he was getting his chest shaved. He was suddenly glad that the other nurse - Caitlyn, if her nametag was to be believed - had sent Belle and Bae out of the room. God, he was going to look like a nightmare when this was over, wasn't he?

"Aw," nurse Caitlyn said sympathetically. "Is it your first time getting shaved?"

He managed a stiff nod, not really sure when else he'd have the need to shave his chest.

"Don't worry," John interjected. "They don't call me _John Razor_ for nothing. Get it? Because of my last name?"

Caitlyn didn't even glance at him, but Arthur could practically feel her eyes rolling. Instead, she seemed to be completely focused on hooking him up to an IV.

"Has anyone ever laughed at that?" Arthur finally asked the portly blond man with the razor.

"You would have been the first," the nurse admitted with a shrug. "Helps break the ice, though."

Arthur couldn't really disagree with that statement, and not just because the nurse currently had a blade perilously close to his nipple.

"Will you both be in the operating room with me?" he asked, unsure whether it would be easier for him if these two were going to be there or not.

"I will," Caitlyn replied, marking something on her chart. "John is pre-op, but I'm your nurse anesthetist."

"Caitlyn is just here to plan your anesthesia," John explained. "She'll be the one making sure you're unconscious the whole time."

Arthur couldn't do much more than nod at this information. Staying asleep for the surgery was pretty high on his list of priorities for the day, and he had the sudden urge to send this nurse a fruit basket or something.

A knock on the door heralded the return of Belle and Bae, and no sooner had Belle's head poked through the door than John was covering Arthur with his surgical gown and muttering some joke about preserving Arthur's modesty. Some part of Arthur was grateful for the other man's foresight in not making Bae nervous, but mostly he was just thrilled to see his family again. He wanted to draw whatever strength he could before they put him under, because no matter how professional the surgical team was, there was still a chance he wasn't waking up from this.

Bae came to stand next to his father's bed, and Arthur wished desperately that his son would fling himself into his father's arms like he'd done after the spider bite. It had been a balm to his soul, and what he wouldn't give to have it one last time...but there wasn't really any good way to ask his son to need him more.

Belle, on the other hand, was far more affectionate than the last time he'd been in the hospital. She was sitting by the bed and holding the hand that didn't have the IV sticking out of it. Her fingers were warm and soft and comforting and suddenly he was fighting the urge to jump out of his bed and sprint out of the hospital as fast as he could go. He had never been so afraid in his entire life, and only the need to keep a level head for Bae was letting him stay where he was.

By the time Caitlyn came back to start putting sedatives in his IV, it was almost a relief to not have to be strong anymore.

"Here," Bae blurted out awkwardly, pulling a Spiderman pillow that usually lived on his bed out of the backpack he'd been carrying all morning and nestling it next to Arthur on the . "So you don't have to be alone."

Arthur's mind was starting to swim from the drug cocktail, but even so, he understood that his son was trying to be strong for him. He didn't want to cry, but there was really no helping it, so instead he pulled Bae into him for a hug. He felt the boy shiver before his arms came around his neck and Bae was sobbing _I love you_. It only lasted a few moments before Bae had pulled away and was in his mother's arms. And then the nurses were wheeling Arthur out of the room and his son was gone.

Strangely, the Spiderman pillow nestled next to him on the cot was giving him strength as the anesthetist put the mask over his face and he began counting down from a hundred.

Bae loved him.

Bae still needed him.

He would get through this.

For Bae…

Belle just wanted to go sit in her car and cry. Arthur was in surgery and Bae was so damn scared and she just needed a moment to gather herself together to be there for him, but she couldn't leave him long enough to go calm herself down. Her chest felt tight as she led her son into the waiting room.

Bae's teachers had given him work to do to cover his absence, and Belle was so grateful for the distraction it provided. Not that the reruns of _The Nanny_ playing on the old TV weren't helping, but she needed something constructive to do to keep her from crawling out of her skin and math was just enough to keep her afloat. Or at least, as afloat as she could possibly manage.

Bae ran out of homework long before his father was out of surgery, but he had his Nintendo that his father had bought him. Was it really just ten months ago now that they'd met Arthur? She still remembered when he'd given Bae that game - it was the first time that he'd come to dinner. They'd only even met him the day before, and he'd only known about Bae a little while longer than that. He'd been a stranger who seemed on the verge of stealing her son away, and now he was he family and she was terrified she was going to lose him.

She couldn't hold it in anymore. She excused herself quickly to the restroom, but she felt Bae's eyes on her the whole way to the door. She locked herself in the last stall and broke down in tears. She didn't even know what she was crying for, really. She knew the statistics backwards and forwards. The odds of complication here were ridiculously low and there was no reason at all to think he wouldn't be able to come home within a day. It was the stress, she decided as she splashed water from the sink on her face. She needed to get Bae and Arthur through all of this so she could have her breakdown without feeling like a completely failure of a mother.

Bae was still playing his game when Belle came in, but no sooner had she regained her seat that she noticed something on his wrist.

"What's that?" she asked him, reaching out to touch the little dreamcatcher dangling off a cord that he was holding.

"It's a dreamcatcher," he said nonchalantly, barely bothering to look over at her.

"I can see that," she replied. "I was wondering where it came from."

"Emma gave it to me," he said, studiously avoiding looking at her now. "For good luck."

"Oh," Belle said. What else was there to really say to that?

They sat in awkward silence for a few more minutes when suddenly a nurse came in and walked up to her.

"Everything went well," the woman said quickly, and Belle imagined that must be the first thing most people asked her. "The tumor was very small, and we were able to get all of it. He's resting now, but you can go and sit with him if you like."

It's funny how you can feel so close to drowning and not even realize it until suddenly your head is above water. Belle was lightheaded as she walked her son into the recovery room to see his father. Arthur was so small in all the monitors and tubes that were tracking his vital signs, but they were all good. His heart was beating and it was strong. He wasn't awake yet, but he was okay They had gotten through the most dangerous part. He'd go home with her the next morning and then they could finally get their happy ending.


	64. Chapter 64

Anonymous said:

Arthur needs Belle's help getting dressed before going home after his surgery?

anonymous said:

Arthur being all awkward about taking his shirt off in front of Belle while she's helping him as he's healing, and she makes it very clear to him that the change in his body doesn't affect how much she loves or wants him. Maybe including her asking permission to touch the scars/changes in his chest to show him? Pre-sex if you think it'll fit there, to make it a moment of reassurance instead of smut. (Though I look forward to post-healing smut too!)

shipperqueen93 said:

Adoption verse prompt. Gold wants to take Belle out for a fancy expensive dinner for Valentines day/date but because of some reason they end up with simple Chinese takeout.

* * *

Arthur was okay to go home the next morning. He was still a little groggy and sore, but he was determined to get home with his family and the doctor didn't see any reason to keep him. The nurse had cleaned and changed his bandage while Belle waited outside the door. Bae was at school, now that the worst was over, and Arthur hadn't ever been so happy to not have his son around as he was being pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair, Bae didn't need to see that.

If Arthur had his way, Belle wouldn't have had to see it either, but the doctor wouldn't let him go home without someone to drive him and frankly Arthur wasn't sure he could have resisted if she'd decided to just kidnap him out of his room. The pain medication left him a little groggy and too tired to even care that she had to help him into the passenger seat and then into the house. She lead him upstairs with her arm wrapped tight around his waist as though she were afraid to let go of him before he was safely in bed.

As he drifted off again, he was vaguely aware that she'd placed him in _her_ bed and not his. Fingers trailing through his hair was the last thing he remembered, though he may have been dreaming by then.

Arthur was in and out of consciousness most of the morning, only coming around in the early afternoon just in time to feel nauseous and and be forced to make a beeline for the restroom. He'd been warned about that as a possible side effect of the anesthesia, but that didn't really make it any more pleasant to deal with. His body was betraying him, and he just felt so pitiful and weak.

He wasn't sure if she'd been checking on him, or if the noise he was making had summoned her, but it wasn't long before Belle came to find him sitting on the cool floor of the bathroom and leaning against the tub.

"Hey," he managed to get out.

"You're awake," she said with a little smile blooming on her face. "Can I get you anything?"

He shook his head, not wanting to risk talking just yet - he could do a lot of things in front of this woman, but he didn't want to add vomiting to the list.

"Are you feeling sick?" she asked, and he did manage a little bit of a nod without making himself too sick.

"I'm sorry," she said, picking up one of the little paper cups kept on the counter and filling it with water. "Here."

He took the cup, sipping the lukewarm tap water gingerly as she came and sat on the edge of the tub next to him and started stroking his hair back off his face and running her fingers through it. Arthur felt the tension peeling off of him as she touched him, and leaned his head back into her lap.

"That feels nice," he said once he was sure his stomach was settled.

"I'm glad," she replied. "How's your chest feel?"

"The painkillers are working so far," he reassured her. "It mostly feels tight. If I move my arm too much I can feel the stitches pulling but it's more strange than painful."

"That's good," she said. "We're going to have to change your bandage in a little bit."

"I can handle it," he replied instantly. He had no idea _how_ he was going to handle it, but the idea of her seeing what was left of his chest...he hadn't even seen it himself yet, how could he really expect her to look at it?

"Don't be silly," she said, still stroking his hair. "You just had surgery and there's a surgical drain in your chest. The nurses went over it with me a few times while you were unconscious. You're in good hands, just trust me."

He did trust her, he really, truly did. He would have walked through fire on her say-so. He loved her, too. He loved her so much it felt like having an open wound in his chest (well, another one) that he was pouring her into daily. But the idea of being dependent of her, of being another burdensome thing she had to take care of all by herself when ever since he'd first arrived in her life he'd tried to take on more and more of her burdens...how could he do that? How could he allow her to be alone again?

"It's going to be ugly," he warned her, though it didn't sound so much like a warning as it did a whine. "There is literally a hole in my chest."

"So?" she replied. "You're here, and that's the important part."

He couldn't argue with her, at least partially because he was too exhausted to think, but he knew she was right and that he wouldn't be able to change the dressings by himself. He finally nodded in agreement, and she smiled and kissed his forehead.

"I'll just go get the gauze," she continued. "I'll be back in a minute."

He hadn't been wrong when he had told her it would be ugly. It had taken some work before they were finally able to get his shirt off comfortably, and there was no way he was going to be able to get dressed or undressed without her help for a few days at least. Just one more indignity to suffer.

Belle's hands were careful and delicate as she worked off the tape around the gauze. He hadn't been mislead about how attractive this would be. A long incision traversed his left pectoral across where his nipple used to be up to his armpit. What little breast tissue he'd had was gone, leaving one side of his chest strangely sunken. Arthur didn't even want to think about the presence of the tube to drain built up fluids. He didn't want to look at it and he especially didn't want Belle to look at it.

It was hard not to admire how little she seemed bothered by anything, though. She didn't flinch at the sight of him, or as she carefully placed the clean bandages on his chest and taped it down. Soon, he promised, as soon as this was over he'd make it up to her.

If Arthur could have in good conscience delayed his surgery, he would have scheduled it after Valentine's day. He'd already been planning the many, many things he wanted to do with Belle before his diagnosis. It had been a long time since either one of them had a romantic partner to share the day with, and she had been young enough for her last relationship that it was likely she'd never done much more than dinner and a movie.

He'd been planning a weekend away for just the two of them. He'd already secretly managed to get permission for Bae to spend the weekend with his friend August, and had wanted to surprise Belle with a weekend in Boston at a nice hotel. He'd still been hammering out details of where they would eat and what they would do (though the ballet was in town and he knew she'd enjoy it) when he got the diagnosis and al his well laid plans had evaporated in his haste to have the surgery performed.

In the grand scheme of things, another week probably would have been fine, but he hadn't wanted to take any risks now that Bae was in the picture and even if he had put it off, he knew that there was no way Belle would have been able to be anything but worried until everything was taken care of. So he had scheduled his surgery for the earliest possible date and ruined his plans.

He couldn't even change his clothes without help. Anything truly romantic was largely off the table.

Luckily, August's father had still been willing to take Bae for a few days, saying it would help distract him from being alone so they would still have time together, he just wasn't sure what they would really be able to do with it. He was still so tender to be touched and Belle...Belle seemed exhausted, to be honest. She'd been caring for him and for Bae as well as working through the busy season at the flower shop. She had dark circles under her eyes and a tightness around her mouth that hadn't been there before. He hated that he'd become another burden on her when all he'd wanted was to be a partner in all of this and not another thing for her to have to deal with.

He wasn't quite up to cooking for her, but the Chinese place delivered and he knew she had a fondness for the Kung Pao Chicken. Maybe it wasn't a candlelit dinner and a hotel, but there were candles and it put a smile on her face when she came through the door to find dinner on the table was something special.

"What's all this?" she asked, coming into the rarely used dining room to see the plates of food on the table.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he replied. "I know it's not much, but…"

He cut himself off with a shrug, unsure of what else to say. He didn't want to make her regret what he hadn't been able to do for her.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she said, kissing him softly on the lips and leaning against the good side of his chest. "I'm dead on my feet."

"Yeah?" he replied, rubbing her shoulders and letting her rest on him as much as she dared. "You've been doing too much this week, anyway."

"It's not too much," she protested. "And it's been worth it."

"It's over now," he said. "Bae is with August this weekend."

"Is he?" she replied, looking up quickly. "So it's just us?"

"It is," he said. "I had made the arrangement with Marco before I got the diagnosis, but I thought you could still use the break."

"Yeah?" she said. "Did we have really good plans?"

"We did," he said. "Maybe next year we'll get to keep them."

He dipped his head to kiss her on the forehead and she made a pleased sound in her throat.

"Maybe," she replied. "But this is nice, too. It's just nice to be home."

He hadn't realized he was nervous about whether she'd be happy with this gesture or if it would have been a miserable failure. He felt the tension ooze out of him and he let himself just bask in her approval and affection while she was willing to be there with him.

It didn't take too long for her to decide it was time for dinner, and they sat next to each other and made jokes and split fortune cookies.

After they ate, she pulled up a playlist on her phone so they could sit in the living room and talk. He hadn't managed to get her much, though he'd at least bought her a diamond pendant during their last stay in New York so he'd been covered for a gift and she'd been extraordinarily (and enthusiastically) grateful for it. He'd also managed to get a bottle of the wine she liked and even though he couldn't join her because of his pain killers, she had drank until she was relaxed and lounging with her head in his lap.

"I'm going to have to get a new jewelry box you know," she told him as she straightened the pendant against her chest. "This is too pretty to be in my old one."

"What's your old one?" he asked idly, trying to remember everything she had on her dresser.

"It's a little wooden box that Bae painted for me when he was in preschool," she replied. "It was a mother's day craft."

He suddenly remembered it. It was a mish mosh of splotches of acrylic paint on a lightweight wooden box from a craft store.

"That's your only jewelry box?" he asked her, twirling her hair around his fingers.

"I don't own much jewelry," she said, sticking her tongue out.

He vaguely registered that the song changing on her phone, but her eyes were so damn blue it was hard to pay attention to anything else.

"I guess we'll have to fix that," he finally said. "Get you enough jewelry to make you sink if you fall into a pool."

She let out a little giggle before jumping to her feet.

"I love this song!" she exclaimed, reaching her hand down towards him. "Dance with me?"

He took her hand and let her help him to his feet. He'd do whatever she asked of him with no reservations. For the rest of his life if he could manage it.

Perhaps the next piece of jewelry he should add to her collection should be another ring.


	65. Chapter 65

Anonymous said:

(Brainstorming prompts to see what sticks or might help you out.) Belle or Bae needing Arthur in particular to do something for them and feeling weird about asking him because he has so much else on his plate.

Anonymous said:

Belle and/or Bae get Arthur addicted to their favorite tv show while he's recovering.

* * *

It was kind of weird having Dad around all the time. Like, Bae had lived at his dad's for a few weeks before his birth mom died, but both his parents had been working at the time (although they had kind of worked their schedules around one of them always being with him). This time, though, his dad was working much shorter hours because he was still getting better and a lot of days he didn't go in at all. When Bae got out of school, his dad would come pick him up. When he got home, Dad was the one who helped with homework. Dad cooked dinner and breakfast. Dad made his lunches.

Bae hadn't ever really had a guy around that much before in his life, and it was kind of nice to see his father every day. Mom seemed to like it, too. Especially the part about dinner being ready when she got home from work. The first few times she was a little awkward, like she couldn't really figure out what she should be doing if dinner wasn't ready, but after that she just seemed a lot happier when she got home.

Dad was watching TV with him, too. That was kind of interesting during the _Ultimate Spiderman_ marathon.

"This is a lot better than the Spider-man cartoon I used to watch when I was a kid," his dad had said at one point. "That one was a little...strange."

"Yeah?" Bae asked, turning around to look at his father. His dad didn't really talk much about his life before he'd shown up, but he was kind of curious. He'd never been to Scotland, and his dad had grown up there.

"We got it a few years after America did," he replied. "But cartoons were very different when I was a boy. They didn't really think children could tell good quality from bad, although I watched it and loved it, so apparently they were right."

"I used to watch Looney Tunes when I was little," Bae said. "Mom didn't like Tom and Jerry, though."

"I bet she didn't," Dad said with a little laugh. "I really can't believe people thought that was appropriate for children, though I suppose most of it went over my head anyway. I always felt bad for Tom."

"I felt bad for the coyote," Bae admitted. "He just seemed really hungry."

"Me too," Dad replied, reaching out to ruffle Bae's hair a little. "And you didn't miss much with Tom and Jerry. Jerry was a jerk."

The show came back from commercial then and Bae turned back towards the TV, watching with his father as Miles Morales made his first appearance. It was quiet for a little while as they both watched the show, but at the next commercial break Bae decided it was time to ask something he'd been wondering for awhile.

"Hey dad?" he asked, perching on the edge of the sofa. "Would you ever wanna go back to Scotland?"

"What do you mean?" dad asked.

"Like, to visit?"

"Oh," his father replied, looking ahead for a minute. "I hadn't really thought about it, to be honest."

"Don't you miss it?" Bae asked him. He couldn't imagine leaving Maine forever, much less America. His friends were all here, and his family, and Bae hadn't ever known anything but Storybrooke. Where would he even go if he left?

"I don't know," Dad replied. "I've been here for a long time now, and you and your mom are both here. Why do you ask?"

Bae shrugged. He didn't want to ask to go to Scotland. His dad had a lot of things going on right now, but Bae wanted to see where his dad had come from. He didn't know a lot about his father's life. He knew about where his mother had grown up, even though he'd never been to Australia, but he hadn't realized until his dad was going into surgery that he didn't even know the names of his other grandparents or if they were even still alive.

"Maybe we can go sometime," Dad continued. "I think you'd like it."

"Yeah?" Bae replied.

"Yeah," Dad said. "It's really pretty, and you'd like the cities I think."

"Okay," Bae said, nodding in agreement. "That'd be fun."

"Good," Dad replied.

After that, they went back to the show. Dad eventually fell asleep on the sofa, but Bae stayed up to watch the show until Mom got home. She took one look at them and put a finger to her lips to keep Bae from waking up his father.

"Come with me to the kitchen," she whispered, walking into the other room and waiting for him to join her.

"We should probably let your dad sleep," she said as soon as Bae was out of the living room. "His medicine makes him tired."

Bae nodded, getting a can of soda from the fridge and hopping up onto one of the stools at the counter.

"How many of those have you had today?" his mom asked immediately, gesturing towards the can.

"I dunno," he fibbed. It would have been his third.

She picked it up off the counter without a word and put it back in the fridge before getting him a glass of water. Bae grumbled a little, but knew it was useless to argue and wasn't really worth the trouble he would have had to go to to try to get the drink back. Anyway, Dad didn't track his soda so he could always have more when she was gone.

"How was your day?" Mom asked, leaning against the counter and grabbing an apple out of the bowl in front of him. "Did you and your dad have fun?"

"We watched TV, mostly," Bae replied. For some reason, he didn't really want to talk about what he'd asked his dad. He didn't want his mom to know he'd been interested, but also wanted to keep that to himself. Bae didn't know what Mom and Dad knew about each other, but he did know that they had their own lives apart from him.

Most of the time it didn't bother him that they were dating, but it felt weird sometimes sharing them with each other. It was especially hard that his mom was splitting her time now, because she had always been 'his' and he hadn't had to share her attention with anyone else before now. He was also kind of jealous that his dad and mom had memories that weren't with him, because he didn't have a lot of memories of his dad. Sometimes it still kind of hurt that he'd missed out on having a father for so long. It was funny - he'd never missed having a dad until he'd found out that he could have had one all along.

"You guys have had a lot of time together this week," she said, bringing him back to where he was. "Have you liked it?"

"Yeah," he said almost instantly. "It's been a lot of fun."

It wasn't a lie, but he'd known there was really only one right answer before he spoke. His parents were a million times happier when it was two of them together than either one had been alone. Even if he hadn't liked having his dad around, he'd never have tried to make them less happy for his own sake.

Mom was looking at him with a little smile on her face and she came around and kissed the top of his head.

"Do you know you're my favorite child?" she teased him, like she'd always done when he was little.

"I'm your only child," he continued the game, letting her ruffle his hair before he started smoothing it down.

"That's why you're my favorite," she replied. "But you're a good kid, you know?"

He shrugged, because what else did you say to that?

"So how's your dad been feeling?" she asked him before the silence could get too loud. "Has he been doing okay during the day?"

"He's okay," Bae replied, glad to have something else to talk about. "But I think his seatbelt bugs him in the car."

He'd noticed his dad had started tugging his seatbelt awkwardly while he was driving like he was trying to make it more comfortable and not doing well at it.

"That's not good," she said. "Anything else you think I should know?"

"Not really," he said. "He's just been normal."

"And how are you holding up?" she asked, looking at him more seriously now.

"I'm fine," he replied, a little startled. "School is fine."

"I meant _you,_" she said. "Not your grades. I know this month has been really rough on all of us - this whole year has, really, hasn't it?"

"I guess so," he said, although she was right. It had been a really, really hard year. A lot of good things had happened, but then so had a lot of bad things, too. It was really weird trying to explain everything that had been going on. Between his dad and his birth mom and Killian and George and his dad being bit by the spider and his mom being sick and then cancer and dating it was so much to try to take in, and even the good things sometimes felt like one more thing thrown on top of everything else. Sometimes he just wanted everything to go back to the way it had been before when nothing interesting happened, but then he felt guilty because going back to that meant no Dad and he didn't want to lose him, either.

"You and I haven't had a lot of time just the two of us, have we?" Mom asked, and Bae didn't even bother answering, because they both knew the truth.

"You've been busy," he said at last. It was true, though. She had been going crazy the last few weeks trying to get Dad to appointments and everything on top of work (February was always her busy time) and taking care of him and the house. Even before that, though, he'd seen her a lot less than usual.

"I have," she replied. "But still. I'm sorry I've sort of been ignoring you. I mostly wanted to make sure you had enough time with your dad, but I think that I might have gone too far in the other direction."

"It's okay," he said.

"No it's not," she said back. "I'm not used to there being three of us yet, really. And the thing is, there are _three_ of us now and I think we've all been sort of acting like there are three different sets of two instead of like a group of three and that was wrong."

He didn't know how to react to that, but he never was when Mom apologized for things like that. Whenever she started, he felt his insides start to get smaller and his outside started to feel like he was going to crumble if he moved. It was a hard thing to explain, how much her loving him and wanting to protect him sometimes made him feel so bad, like she could see right through him. She was defending him from herself, but there was a big part of him that sometimes felt like he should defend her, too, because nobody ever defended her.

"Anyway," she said at last. "My point is, I'm going to try to start acting like a _real_ family with two parents and everything from now on. And that means I want to start spending a lot more time with you, okay?"

"Okay," he said, because that was something he could do. He could agree with her and let her love him because she was his mom and she was going to make everything be alright. That's what she'd always done, and he trusted her more than anyone else in the whole world.

Mom gave him a giant smile and he smiled back.

"You wanna keep me company?" she asked him. "I thought it'd be nice if I made dinner tonight since your dad's been doing it since his surgery."

"Sure," Bae replied. "What are we having."

Mom went to the fridge and looked in it for a little while.

"Spaghetti sound good?" she asked, glancing over to him. "It's that or burgers."

"I like spaghetti," he said. "Dad's tastes different."

"It does," she replied. "But different can be good, too."


	66. Chapter 66

Anonymous said:

Bae comes home from August's or somewhere and walks in on Belle and Arthur cuddling on the sofa. Instead of getting weird about it, he drops his stuff and dives right in for much needed Mom and Dad group cuddles.

**A/N:** So this is it. The last real chapter. I have an epilogue already written that I'll post in a day or two (along with a few little surprises) but yeah...wow. It's been an adventure, and I'd like to thank everyone who's been here for it!

* * *

It had been a rough couple of months, but things for finally starting to settle down for Belle. Arthur's radiation therapy had gone off without a hitch and his last appointment with the oncologist had been nothing but good news. He'd need to keep an eye out for any new lumps, and the doctor wanted him to periodically come in for tests just in case, but all signs were pointing to good news. There were genetic tests that the doctor wanted to do with Bae and his father just to see if there were any genetic markers for cancer, but it was better to know that it was a thing they would need to keep an eye on (and teach Bae to keep an eye on) than to not know and be taken by surprise later. All in all, it had been the very best news she could have reasonably hoped for.

When the test results came back that Arthur was healthy, it felt like a weight she'd barely realized was there had been lifted off of her. It was strange to think about, but Belle didn't want to raise Bae alone anymore. She'd done it for ten years, but somehow having Arthur around the last year...she hadn't realized how badly that both she and Bae missed somebody else being there until he'd appeared and they risked losing him.

The only thing marring Belle's happiness was that, with a clean bill of health, Arthur had no reason to stay in her house anymore. He'd already stayed throughout his treatment and recovery (nearly two months now) and she didn't want him to go anywhere. It had been so nice having somebody to share the burden of maintaining a household with. Bae was picked up and fed even if she needed to work late. There was another person who could help with homework if it was a subject she had a hard time with or if there was cleaning that needed to be done. She had someone to talk to in those quiet hours of the evening between Bae's bedtime and her own. She didn't really want him to leave, but it would have been selfish to ask him to stay.

Arthur's house was simply nicer than hers. It had newer appliances (including a dishwasher that didn't occasionally flood the kitchen, which she had been meaning to have replaced but hadn't gotten around to yet), but also four bedrooms rather than three and the master suite was on the ground floor, so he didn't need to take the stairs and there was a bit more privacy from Bae if they stayed there. Her house was just simply old. Her parents had bought it in the late-70s after getting married, and it hadn't aged well. The longer he stayed, the more the million little things that never quite annoyed her enough to fix started to jump out at her.

But, it was her parents' house and she had raised her son there. She couldn't abandon it, but she couldn't exactly ask Arthur to move in, either. And the more she thought about it, the more she really wanted him to move in. They were good together, and she liked the idea of being a proper family for once. He already paid a substantial portion of their upkeep, anyway, and he'd save so much money by combining households.

So when Bae asked to go to a sleepover after Saturday basketball practice, Belle didn't think too much of it. He was at an age where spending the night away with a friend was a thrilling amount of freedom, and August's father had told her he liked having Bae around because it helped August not focus on missing his mom so much. Belle didn't begrudge either boy the time spent together in the slightest, and especially not since she and Arthur had started dating in earnest. They were never going to have a time of their lives 'before' children, and as much as she loved her son, she really liked having some time to not _just_ be his mom.

"Let's go out," Arthur said when she got back from dropping their son off with his friend.

She looked down at her 'mom' uniform - a tunic with leggings - and tried to imagine what could possess him to even ask that. It had been a long two months, and she'd mostly been looking forward to a quiet night at home.

"Tonight?" she asked, going to hug him and leaning into the good side of his chest enough to let him feel her weight. "I was kind of hoping to take a bath and maybe let you join me if you asked nice."

He groaned pitifully and tipped his head down so his hair brushed hers.

"Please?" he asked. "I'd like to celebrate."

Damn him tugging her heart strings like that. She gave him an overdramatic sigh before disentangling herself.

"Fine," she replied. "But you owe me a bubble bath later."

"I'll be more than happy to pay up," he said, taking her hand and bringing it up to press a kiss against the inside of her wrist. "But first you have to get ready."

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully before taking the stairs to pick out something to wear and do her makeup and hair. She ended up settling on the black dress she'd worn for their first dinner together, since it was either that or the shiny gold one she'd worn for their first date and that one was a little bit too much for what she was fairly certain was going to be a laid back dinner to celebrate his clean bill of health. She would have honestly preferred to have Bae here for that, but they could do something later to include him as well.

Arthur was waiting for her in the living room when she came down, having somehow gotten into a suit and tie without her noticing. He must have changed in the spare bedroom that was technically _his_ even though he hadn't spent a night in it since before the surgery. As soon as he saw her, he got the kind of dumbstruck look on his face that nobody had ever gotten at the sight of her except for him. Maybe it was worth dressing up for dinner just to have him stare at her that way.

"You look beautiful," he said earnestly. "Really, breathtaking."

She could feel the blush staining her cheeks already, but somehow it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was here and he loved her even if she looked goofy as hell blushing like a schoolgirl at him.

"Did I ever tell you I love that tie?" she asked him, reaching out and grabbing hold of it to pull him into a quick kiss before smoothing it back down.

"This one?" he asked, glancing down at himself and seeming to try to figure out the significance of it.

"Yeah," she replied. "You wore it the first time you ever came to dinner, the second day we met. I thought it suited you - it made your eyes look warmer."

"You kissed me," he said with a little half grin. "So I guess you probably didn't need to say much else."

Yeah, she decided as she slipped her arm through his and walked to the car. Dinner might not be a bad choice after all.

He took her to the restaurant they'd had their first official date in, and gotten a bottle of wine before they even got as far as appetizers. Belle wasn't exactly opposed to this plan, and their meal went forward, though she couldn't help noticing that his hands had begun to shake more and more as the evening wore on. Once or twice she'd thought about asking if he was in any pain, but he didn't seem to be hurting and she didn't want to draw attention to it if he was. She trusted him to know his limits, after all.

By the time dessert came (along with a bottle of champagne she'd insisted would be overkill but that he'd ordered anyway), he was a mess.

"Are you okay?" she finally asked, reaching across to press her hand to his forehead. He didn't feel overheated.

"I'm fine," he said quickly, drinking half a glass of wine in one mouthful before turning his attention back towards her. "I do have a confession to make, though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I didn't quite tell you what we were celebrating."

That got her attention. She'd just taken for granted this was because he was feeling better and wanted to go out. There really wasn't anything else to celebrate, except he was shaking uncontrollably and this was their first date restaurant and he had set a little velvet box down on the table in front of her and _oh God._

"I know this might seem sudden," he said. "But it's something I've been thinking about for longer than I should probably tell you…"

"Yes," she blurted out quickly, before slapping her hands over her mouth.

He just looked at her in shock for a second before a grin spread across his face.

"You didn't let me finish, sweetheart," he replied. "I have a whole speech prepared."

"I know," she managed to say before all the blood in her body rushed to her face. "I'm so sorry. You can keep going, if you want."

"I'd like to," he said sweetly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair off of her face. "I love you, Belle. I love you for raising Bae so well, and I love you for being kind enough to let me into your lives. I love how you're so strong, but still so gentle. You rescued me when I needed it most - and I don't just mean the last few weeks, because every day since we met you've made me a better man. And I'll never ever be able to make that up to you, but I'd like to spend the rest of my life trying. If you'll have me, anyway."

With that he opened the box, revealing a diamond ring - another of his antiques, but not one she'd ever seen in the shop. This one he must have looked for, just for her.

"Belle French," he said, taking a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"

She felt the tears overwhelm her and she was crying at the table, but she was so damn overcome with joy right then that she couldn't even come up with the words to tell him it was okay and that she was just so happy he'd thought to do this, because it wasn't something she'd expected but couldn't think of anything she'd love more.

"Sweetheart," he said, and she could hear the same emotion that she was already feeling. "I can't put the ring on you until you say yes."

"Yes!" she exclaimed, leaning over the table to kiss him. "Of course I'm going to marry you. There's nobody else I'd rather be with. It's only ever really been you."

It wasn't until she heard the polite applause from the surrounding tables that she realized that their exchange hadn't gone entirely unheard, and then she was blushing again and so was he, but it was all worth it when he pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger and there was a cheer. She didn't remember a damn thing about dessert besides the weight of the ring on her hand and the way Arthur smiled at her like she was the last woman on Earth.

Bae got home in the early afternoon on Sunday, and Belle still wasn't sure she'd stopped smiling yet. She and Arthur were sitting on the sofa, watching something silly on TV while she was leaning against him with his arm around her. She'd only barely had time to think about how to tell him everything - about how his dad would be moving in and there was going to be a wedding and house renovations and he'd have the entire upstairs all to himself when they were done and how they were all three of them going to be so, so happy - when Bae took one look at her before turning to his dad.

"So she said yes?" Bae asked, smiling in a way she hadn't ever seen before.

"She did," Arthur said from his seat on the sofa and Belle was looking back and forth between them.

"You knew?" she asked her son in shock. "And you didn't say anything?"

"It was a secret," Bae replied.

"I asked him if it would be okay first," Arthur added.

"You're both terrible," she said with as much fake outrage as she could muster.

"Too late now," Bae exclaimed, coming to drop down onto the sofa next to her so she could pull him into a hug. "You're stuck with both of us, right, Dad?"

"You are," Arthur said, pulling her into him so he could hug her and their son as well as possible. "But I promise not to ever let you regret it."


	67. Chapter 67

Arthur knew from experience that every groom thought his bride was the most beautiful woman in the world on their wedding day, so perhaps he was a little biased when he saw Belle coming down the makeshift aisle towards him. Though, from the awe in Bae's eyes as he escorted his mother towards his waiting father, he thought perhaps at least one other person might agree with his assessment that yes, Belle really was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Admittedly, some of that might be the natural glow he'd heard to expect during these early months of pregnancy.

He still sometimes couldn't believe his luck that his life had finally come to this. He was desperately in love with his best friend, a woman who just happened to be the one who had raised his son and who now was expecting his second child. This one took after its brother in coming along quite by accident – she'd only just taken the test a couple weeks ago and Arthur still wasn't sure if he'd stopped smiling since then. They'd both been absolutely thrilled (and maybe a little terrified by) the news, and so had Bae. Belle tackled it with her usual indomitable spirit, reminding both Bae and Arthur that she had raised her first all by herself while running a business. Surely she could handle finishing her Masters with an infant as long as both her guys were around as well.

She'd finally sold off the shop to Anton, intending to be a full time student after the wedding, but she had insisted part time student and full time mom was just as good. And anyway, it'd be a lot easier to deal with daycare now than it had been when Bae was a baby so there was no reason not to do full time soon.

As for Bae, he couldn't have been more happy that the father he'd met just over two years ago had fallen head over heels in love with his mother. Although, honestly, who could do anything but love Belle?

As his family finally arrived at the rug that served as altar for their backyard ceremony, Arthur could barely contain his tears of joy. Bae was so very grown up, carefully offering his mother's hand to his father just like they'd practiced before standing slightly off to the side. He would be included in the ceremony to help light a unity candle, and the vows had been written to include bits about always caring for him as well. Both parents wanted to make the point that Bae was to be the centerpiece of this new life they would be sharing, regardless of any other children that came along. He was, after all, the whole reason that they were a family.

As unplanned as this new baby was, Arthur loved that it, too, would end up being a part of their ceremony. He would pledge his devotion to his family every day for the rest of his life if he had to, and he'd love every minute of it. This was the second chance he'd never thought he would ever get – he had his son and Belle, and now a new baby to love and cherish.

As the ceremony came to a close and the fairy lights were turned on for their first dance as man and wife, Arthur couldn't help but press his hand against Belle's still flat belly for just a moment. In a few hours, Bae would be with his Uncle Tiny for a few days and Arthur would have his new wife to himself for the first time since he'd known her. If anyone was scandalized by the fact the bride was pregnant, Arthur didn't notice or care, he was too busy being the happiest man in the world.

Finally, after so many years of searching for one, he was home.

* * *

**A/N:**

I started writing this story as a prompt fill in July of 2014. I had no idea then what it was going to turn into, and if I had I don't know that I'd ever have had the guts to do it (and I definitely wouldn't have given Arthur the same name as I did in Mysterious Ways, which at that point I thought was going to be my 'big' fic from that promptathon). It was really my first serious entry into Rumbelle fic writing, as at that time I had only barely started writing my second chaptered fic and the first one wasn't exactly taking off. As of this writing, this story is the second most popular Rumbelle story on AO3 in Kudos, Comments, and Hits, and is one of only two Rumbelle fics to make it to the front page of the Once Upon a Time tag on AO3 in those three categories (the other, of course, being Bed of Thorns).

It's been an honor and a privilege to write about this family from the beginning. I don't feel like the writer sometimes so much as I do the custodian. Bae feels like he's mine at this point - some people hear horror stories of children being abused and think about their kids, I think about Bae. I don't know that any of these characters will ever really leave me, and in a way I hope they don't. I had to bring three people through the hardest year of any of their lives and it's been a journey for me as well as them. I like to think I've grown as an author since those first half-assed short stories and that ridiculously silly kiss.

I'd like to thank everyone who has helped with prompts and support and encouragement by name, but that would be impossible because there have been so many of you over the last 14 months that I can't keep track, so consider this my eternal gratitude for offering up your time and creativity to help me make this story better. Everyone who's ever left a comment, thank you for encouraging me to keep going. The people who track me down on Tumblr to leave me long messages, you're the best. Everybody who posts it to rec lists and suggests new people _have_ to read it have earned my undying love.

I've only really been the custodian of the characters and the story that the fandom gave me to work with and I'm so proud to have been that. So thank you to everyone who helped me make this special.

I've got a couple little bonus gifts that I wasn't able to get uploaded here, but if you go to this link you'll be able to see them: /works/1843297/chapters/11631724

I also have a series of short stories that are associated with this universe. Some of them take place between chapters, most are sequels showing their life after marriage. I'd like to invite you all to check those out here: /series/156242

Also, keep an eye out in November when I'll be beginning work (again) on the remix of this story where Arthur finds out about his son ten years earlier. Thank you again everyone who made this so worth it.


End file.
